By George Psyllides Published on March 24, 2011
POLICE yesterday charged 14 people, including the head of an immigrant support group in connection with violent clashes in Larnaca last November that resulted in over a dozen people injured.
News of the development was broadcasted last night by state television CyBC, which did not name any of the other individuals whose identities could not be immediately verified.
KISA director Doros Polycarpou later told the Cyprus Mail he was charged with rioting and participating in an illegal assembly.
The clashes took place on November 5, 2010 at the Phinikoudes promenade.
Anti-immigrant groups and people attending the annual Rainbow Festival clashed, as police appeared unable to control the situation. Yesterday, Polycarpou questioned his prosecution.
“I participated with 600 other people; why they haven’t caught the other 599 and they caught me I don’t know,” Polycarpou told the Cyprus Mail. The KISA director denied taking part in the violence, saying his involvement was limited to trying to keep the two sides apart.
A Turkish Cypriot musician -- not immediately involved -- was stabbed during the fracas. Two men, from Pakistan and Bangladesh, who did not take part in the trouble, were also injured.
“No one was located or charged for the murder attempt against the Turkish Cypriot. No one was located or charged for the head injuries inflicted on the Pakistani man withdrawing money from the bank. No one was located and charge for bearing of Bangladeshi man who also did not take part in the clashes,” Polycarpou said.
He added that instead of looking at their weakness to keep the two sides apart the police found the easy solution of prosecuting himself.
“Its tiring because it is the fifth criminal case they’ve started against me – and they lose,” Polycarpou said. The KISA head said his organisation will inform all institutions who can assess the situation independently like the European Parliament and the Commission, and human rights groups.
“At the end of the day, in one year, no one will know whether Doros was acquitted or who was to blame. What stays is tonight’s impressions,” Polycarpou said.
http://www.cyprus-mail.com/cyprus/kisa-head-polycarpou-charged-over-rainbow-festival-clash/20110324
Eric Georgiou from Cyprus comments:
These 'bigoted expats' clearly need reminding of why they all packed their bags and left the UK. Perhaps this story will remind them why: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/mar/24/night-stalker-victims.
Now dare to complain about how uncivilised, uneuropean and inhumane Cyprus is and how incompetent and corrupt the police are. If the sorts of things that happen in the UK happened in Cyprus, then I wouldn't have the guts to reproach other countries. Cyprus has nothing to learn from British society other than the fact that we don't want to become like you.
Trevor from Limassol comments:
Andreas from Famagusta hit the nail right on the head!
Here is one expat (amongst hundreds of thousands) who left their homeland because they were sick of seeing immigrants get better treatment than they could ever get.
I am a foreigner here but I don't leech from this Country and I never came here with the intention of leeching.
Here is one expat you won't find condemning the locals for their stand against illegal immigrants for I know EXACTLY how they feel!
Britain was brainwashed into accepting foreigners and forced to be 'tolerant' at the expense of being labelled a 'racist knuckledragging thug'. Dissenters of left wing EUSSR policy have been criminalised 'for the greater cause'.
However, wasn't it a certain A Merkel who recently said, 'the great multicultural experiment has failed'?
The riot seems to have happened because there was a deliberate attempt to provoke and for that those responsible should be dealt with by the courts. As should anyone who engaged in gratuitous violence.
Putting an innocent in hospital is not the way to get your argument across!
