The government appears reluctant to drop the resoundingly stupid proposal of forcing people in the vicinity of a football ground, before a match, to undergo alcohol and drug testing. This was one of the measures – discussed at some point last year – which the ministry of justice and public order believed would help the authorities’ clampdown on violence at football matches.

The bill for dealing with football violence was presented to the House legal affairs committee on Wednesday by the Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis. It has a provision for the police to carry out checks on people entering a stadium (this is currently done by stewards hired by the stadium) and would also give power to the council of ministers to call off a match that is categorised as ‘high-risk.’ This is unheard of interference by the government, which the Cyprus Football Association has said it would not accept; it is likely to have the support of Uefa in fighting this.

Nothing is as bad as the provision for testing people who are anywhere within 500 metres of a football ground on a match day. Anyone walking in the vicinity of a football stadium, an hour before kick-off, could be stopped by police and told to undergo an alcohol/drug test, because the authorities have concluded that hooligans are either drunk or stoned. It is quite astonishing that the authorities could include such a police state provision in the law, unable to see that it is a blatant violation of personal liberty, reminiscent of the lockdown.

This provision would give the police the power to stop anyone, within 500 metres of a stadium on a match day and subject them to a test. The ‘suspect’ does not necessarily have to be driving a car or riding a motorbike, the assumption being that anyone drunk or stoned is a troublemaker and must not be allowed into the stadium. If someone has no intention of entering the football grounds but tests positive what would the police do? Issue an on-the-spot fine ‘for walking in a state of intoxication’?

This is the kind of repressive measure the authorities enforced during the pandemic having frightened the public into total submission. The government’s rationale is along the same lines – because its repressive measure is for a good cause, eradicating football violence, it is justified. No violation of our personal liberties can be justified today. Why should any law-abiding citizen sacrifice their personal freedoms, because the authorities are incapable of controlling a few hundred football hooligans?

The representative of the Bar Association at the meeting also wondered whether the police could stop someone and subject them to an alcohol test. The way to reduce violence at football grounds is through effective and prompt punishment of troublemakers, they said. It is not by randomly denying citizens of their freedom.