‘Racist’ councillor charged after AG orders police probe (Update 2, video)

The attorney general on Tuesday ordered a police investigation after a Limassol municipal councillor was caught on video during Friday’s anti-migrant protest saying he would kill any delivery driver he saw in sight.

Akel’s general secretary Stefanos Stefanou had earlier brought the matter to light in a letter calling on the AG to carry out a probe into the events that unfolded.

Foivos Alkiviades, a municipal councillor with Elam, was seen in an angry rampage during a racist anti-immigrant protest, as other men tried to hold him back. He eventually shouted in full sight of the riot police: “I’m telling you now, from here on out, whenever I see a delivery driver, I will kill him.”

Police stood by as the yelling went on, with one member of the public trying to remind Alkiviades that he is a municipal councillor, in an attempt to get him to tone down.

Stefanou’s letter said the incident amounts to hate speech, describing is “unacceptable, particularly when coming from officials who ought to respect their position and be mindful of their behaviour.”

The footage was sent on with the letter, and Stefanou called on the AG to inform him over the results of the investigation.

Subsequently, Stefanou said he had been informed by the AG that the latter had given orders to the police “to explore whether criminal offences were committed by the racist behaviour.”

Police later announced he was charged in writing and will be called to court at a later date.

Elam on Tuesday told the Cyprus Mail that Alkiviades was no longer in the party “after recent events which unfolded on the weekend.”

A subsequent statement from the party said after the material surfaced, he was called to explain himself but “his apology was not accepted.”

He was removed from the party “as his behaviour goes against Elam’s code of ethics.”

Alkiviades has also resigned from his post as municipal councillor.

Friday’s protest has been described as a pogrom by Akel, which slammed the government’s handling of the situation as police failed to keep the situation under control, leading to foreign nationals getting beaten up, businesses getting attacked and members of the broader public at risk as Molotov cocktails were thrown.

The president described the images as shameful and though no one was fired or made to resign, the possibility is still on the table for the police chief and justice minister.