Cyprus Police have announced security and traffic arrangements for a protest by several organisations outside the Presidential Palace on Thursday, 10 September 2026. Officers will be deployed to manage traffic and maintain order, while the legislation governing the demonstration gives police the power to impose restrictions, order a dispersal, or require the removal of face coverings in specific circumstances.
Security and traffic arrangements
Police said members of the force will be present in the area to take the necessary security and traffic measures and to facilitate the flow of traffic. The public has been asked to avoid the affected areas where possible, to show patience, and to comply with instructions given by police officers on the ground.
Legal obligations on organisers
The protest falls under the Public Meetings and Marches Law 151(I)/2025. Under the law, the organiser of a meeting or march is required to ensure it proceeds in an orderly and peaceful manner. Organisers must also cooperate with the relevant local authority in whose jurisdiction the gathering takes place, with the police, and with the liaison officer appointed to coordinate between police and organisers, and must comply with their instructions.
When police can restrict or disperse a gathering
The law also gives police the authority, where deemed necessary, to impose restrictions on a meeting or march, or to order its dispersal. This applies in particular when a gathering:
- ceases to be peaceful
- is conducted in breach of imposed restrictions
- creates a risk of physical harm to a person or damage to public or private property
- is a spontaneous or emergency gathering that fails to comply with imposed restrictions
Provisions on face coverings
The legislation additionally allows police to act where there is reasonable suspicion that a gathering is about to become non-peaceful because of a person's actions, or in the context of an offence being committed, or potentially committed, by a person who is concealing, covering, or altering their features so as to be unrecognisable. In such cases, police may order the removal of the item, object, or device rendering that person unidentifiable.
