Piles of wood seized in lambradjia clampdown

Strovolos municipality has been clamping down on Easter lambradjia – bonfire celebrations —  with seven truckloads of stockpiled wood confiscated in recent days.

Strovolos Mayor Andreas Papacharalambous spoke to the media about his efforts to prevent major incidents over the Easter holidays, saying that the tradition is especially dangerous amid the ongoing pandemic.

“Unfortunately, this is a situation which occurs every year and as local authorities we try to remove these piles of wood, as they are considered extremely dangerous,” he told AlphaNews.

He further detailed that police officers are assisting in the removal and clean-up of the areas where the stockpiling has occurred, due to the possibility that scuffles could break out with the youths involved.

The Easter tradition is meant to symbolise the burning of Judas and typically involves large bonfires being lit along with a night of loud music, fireworks, and firecrackers.

Each year there are also reports of people losing fingers in firework accidents, while others complain of what can turn into weeks of nightly disturbances.

Local youths, typically teenage boys, gather as much wood as possible in what can turn into neighbourhood rivalries in an attempt to outcompete each other.