FOUR ARRESTS were made at the weekend and three teenagers remanded in custody in connection with a series of violent and reportedly racist attacks against members of the public in an area of Nicosia on Friday night.
Nicosia Divisional Police Commander Kypros Michaelides said yesterday that based on statements made by the arrested youths, the group roamed the streets targeting foreigners. The fact that Cypriots were also beaten boiled down to mistaken identity, he told the Cyprus Mail.
Police received reports on Friday that groups of black-clad youths wearing hoods and caps randomly attack pedestrians and taxi drivers with pepper spray and expandable batons between the hours of 9pm and 10.30pm in the area near the Hilton Hotel in the capital. At least four victims ended up in hospital, some with head injuries requiring stitches, were treated and later released.
Four attacks were initially reported to police, including an attack on a Bangladeshi man, a 29-year-old Cypriot doctor, a Cypriot taxi driver who had transported three youths to the area and a 16-year-old pupil who has English and Armenian Cypriot heritage.
In the latter incident, the 16-year-old was walking near his home with two friends when a group of black-clad youths approached them asking whether they spoke English or Greek. When the three friends, who attend the same private school in Nicosia, responded ‘English’, the group set upon the nearest one with a baton.
The total number of assaults in the same area that night came to six, after two more people, a second taxi driver and a 27-year-old Cypriot, came forward the following day to report that they too had been the victims of attack. Many of the victims used similar characteristics to describe their assailants, identifying them as wearing black, wielding batons, and in at least two cases using pepper spray. One youth was described by a number of victims as being tall, stocky, with short curly hair and glasses.
On Saturday evening, police arrested two Cypriots, aged 17 and 18, from Nicosia, who were remanded in custody for six days by the Nicosia district court on Sunday. According to reports, based on statements given to police, two more teenagers were arrested on Sunday evening, aged 18 and 17.
However, only the 17-year-old was taken to court yesterday, where he was remanded in custody for five days in connection with charges of robbery, attempted robbery, possession of an assault weapon, causing damage, and assault causing actual bodily harm.
A police spokesman was unable to clarify yesterday evening why the 18-year-old was not remanded in custody along with the other three.
“It appears these young people intended to harm mainly foreigners in the area. This phenomenon concerns us even more because it appears to be part of this surge that exists of hitting foreigners, which particularly concerns the police, but should concern us all,” said Michaelides yesterday.
He said at least three of the victims were either foreign or had connections to foreign countries. “From statements made to police, it appears they thought the 29-year-old Cypriot doctor was Chinese. It seems their target was to hit foreigners,” he said.
“Beyond the fact police are taking all measures to avoid similar incidents, I call on the public to show greater sensitivity and provide police with any relevant information at the first opportunity,” said the Nicosia police commander.
Michaelides told the Cyprus Mail that a group of 30 people gathered on Friday night in the area, from which police believe a core group of six or seven carried out the attacks.
“We are examining others’ involvement too. It is still early stages, more arrests are pending,” he said, adding, “our indications tell us that it’s a wider group, which concerns us.”
Within a close range of that area are located the offices of the far-right organisation, the National Popular Front (ELAM) and APOEL football club. Asked whether, based on the type of clothes worn and other anecdotal evidence, either was implicated in the recent attacks, the police commander said police couldn’t be absolutely sure, though certain issues were “interlinked”.
Michaelides highlighted that everyone in society, from families and schools to politicians and the media also had a responsibility towards deterring juvenile delinquency and racist attitudes.
“Really, these children may not have as much responsibility here as the rest of us do…they are victims of our own society. Our youth are being misled by what they hear around them. We all have to be careful,” he said.
He called on the media to show the true extent of the problem so that all necessary measures could be taken. In reference to some politicians who have been known to distort facts when condemning migration, he said: “We are misleading children. We all need to think whether we’re contributing positively to our country, or simply trying to sell newspapers or undermine our political opponents?”
The police officer said that police patrols were increased in all towns at the beginning of the year in an effort to tackle crime, noting that this was intensified following the violent incidents in Larnaca earlier this month between anti-racist and anti-migrant protestors.
“It’s still early. If we allow it to get out of control, it will be too late,” he added.
