POLICE YESTERDAY defended the widespread use of tear gas against protesters outside the presidential palace on Tuesday night, saying some people had come prepared for trouble with Molotov cocktails, crowbars and firecrackers.
Police spokesman Michalis Katsounotos rejected criticism of excessive use of force during the force’s handling of one of the largest political demonstrations against a sitting government in recent Cypriot history.
Between five and ten thousand people gathered outside and in the driveways of the presidential palace on Tuesday night demanding the government’s removal following the Mari blast that killed 12 people on Monday. The crowds comprised people of all ages and political persuasions.
The peaceful protest soon turned into chaos as a small group of people tried to storm the palace gates, throwing stones at police. Police responded, firing tear gas at the crowds, which included families and children, causing intense scenes of anger and panic.
Peaceful protests were also held in all other major towns.
Katsounotos yesterday maintained that the use of force was necessary to tackle those who came prepared for battle. He acknowledged that the majority of protesters had peaceful intentions but that “over 300 criminal and troublemaking elements exploited and infiltrated this march”.
As a result, on arrival at the presidential palace, “a group of mindless people attacked police lined up at the entrance of the presidential palace, throwing Molotov cocktails, stones, sticks, flares, firecrackers and other items,” said the spokesman.
He argued police exhausted every means at their disposal, showing the “utmost restraint” and patience before deciding justifiably to use tear gas. Organisers failed to protect the march from the troublemakers resulting in peaceful protesters also being affected by the gas, he added.
“This group of criminal and disruptive elements used physical violence to break open the entrance of the presidential palace, and move up to the security gate, where entry is forbidden. Police tried to convince people to move back, preventing them from entering the palace grounds, but police were attacked and tear gas was used again,” he said.
Katsounotos maintained that adequate warning was given for people to disperse peacefully before the tear gas was used. One eye witness who was standing just metres away from a policeman issuing the warning over a megaphone told the Cyprus Mail that she was unable to make out what was said.
The spokesman acknowledged the public’s right to protest peacefully against this tragic event, but not to come prepared with helmets, covered faces, “Molotov cocktails, sticks, stones, crowbars, firecrackers, flares and other items” with the aim of storming the palace.
“The decision to use tear gas depends on a risk assessment which often has to be made in seconds, and if the decision is not taken to use it, the consequences can be much worse than non-use,” he said.
In this case, it was deemed necessary. The palace gate was violated, damage caused to the security post, and five police were injured, he said.
Six people who entered the palace grounds were arrested on Tuesday night while another 14 were arrested outside the compound.
The Nicosia District Court yesterday remanded two people in connection with the events at the palace. Police allegedly found knives on the two. The remaining 18 were charged and released. One of the 18 is a 23-year-old woman who said she was arrested after fleeing from the violent episodes between police and rioters by climbing over the palace park fence.
Police are “assessing and using audiovisual material to identify more people who participated in the riots, to verify their personal data and make more arrests,” said Katsounotos.
The Limassol District Court yesterday ordered the remand of five people arrested on Tuesday night after police allegedly found 25 Molotov cocktails in a car in the port city.
According to Katsounotos, police acted on a tip off that an attack was planned against Limassol police headquarters when they intercepted the car.
They found three 20-year-olds and two 17-year-olds in the car along with 25 Molotov cocktails “ready for use with the cloth hanging out the bottle”, a foldable baton, knife and gas masks.
EDEK spokesman Demetris Papadakis yesterday condemned the “unacceptable provocative attitude of a small group of people” at the Nicosia protest, while also condemning the “unjustified use of violence and tear gas against peaceful protesters”.
Papadakis who was present at the protest told state broadcaster CyBC that police also fired tear gas against people who posed no threat whatsoever against the palace or police.
“Canisters were falling at the feet of women and children,” he said.
AKEL leader Andros Kyprianou described Tuesday’s events as “unacceptable”, saying the “unprovoked attack” against the palace was an insult to the Cypriot people and an effort to exploit the deaths of the 12 men.
