Several complaints will be filed with the independent police complaints authority after pepper spray and tear gas was deployed towards protestors at Thursday’s demonstration in solidarity with the Global Sumud flotilla for Gaza, activists confirmed on Friday.
“We will file a complaint about the use of weapons, because institutions must be controlled; otherwise they become inactive and atrophy,” said Korina Demetriou, spokesperson for the Global Movement for Gaza Cyprus, which organised the protest.
Demetriou added that, while the group would proceed with the complaints, they had little expectation of results. Citing past experience, she said authorities had failed to provide responses to previous requests about the outcomes of investigations.
Hundreds of people gathered outside the foreign ministry on Thursday evening, after Israeli forces intercepted vessels of the international civilian flotilla attempting to deliver aid to Gaza.
According to Demetriou, police justified their intervention by citing violations of the new law on demonstrations. She argued, however, that the law allows for unannounced “extraordinary” gatherings in response to significant events and that the interception of the flotilla fell under such provisions.
She further claimed that protesters had not been informed of any restrictions whose breach could have justified police intervention, nor were they instructed to remain in a single lane of the road.
In an official statement on Friday, police confirmed that the demonstration complied with the new law as a “spontaneous or extraordinary peaceful gathering.” However, they added that prior notification is recommended “to ensure the smooth conduct of the rally.”
Authorities estimated that 150 to 200 people had gathered, blocking both lanes of traffic. “This put them in danger while at the same time obstructing traffic in the wider area,” police said.
When asked to move to the pavement, they added, protesters refused, prompting riot police to intervene “to reinstate order.”
“As a result, our members intervened using appropriate force and pepper spray, as they were pushed and resisted while attempting to disperse the participants,” the statement said.
Police also reported being unable to identify an official organiser of the protest, adding that even spontaneous gatherings should designate one “for purposes of coordination and cooperation.”
Organisers strongly rejected the police’s account, accusing authorities of attempting to frame the intervention as “traffic control”.
“On a day of global mobilisations for Gaza, we demand that the authorities respect the constitutionally guaranteed right to protest and dispel any doubt about their neutrality,” the group said.
It condemned the response of the police as disproportionate and violent and spoke of unprovoked acts of violence suffered by the demonstrators.
“Such acts not only endanger the security of citizens but also undermine the foundations of trust between civil society and public authorities,” they said.
Photographer Olympia Petrou, who attended the protest, told the Cyprus Mail she was directly hit with pepper spray.
“I was sprayed from about one metre away – it went all over my face and body, in my eyes and mouth, on my arms, even my clothes were soaked,” she said, adding she could not see for 15 minutes and was still experiencing burning sensations the next day.
Petrou stressed that the protest was peaceful, with “absolutely no sign of aggression,” when police cars suddenly arrived.
“Five to six police cars showed up, all with batons and big plastic shields, trying to find the organiser,” she said.
Petrou said that the protesters then linked arms, with her ending up at the front, where she saw police pushing people, including an elderly woman who was sitting in protest.
“In trying to protect her, I stepped forward, and that’s when I was pepper sprayed,” she said. “The police led with complete violence. It was really unexpected. We asked them calmly why they were doing this. There was absolutely no violence from our side.”
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