Incidents were recorded at the GSP Stadium following the football match between APOEL and AEK Larnaca. Police said the disturbances involved clashes with supporters after the final whistle, prompting crowd control measures and resulting in property damage.
Sequence of events after the match
According to the Police Press Office, the incidents began when approximately 150 individuals moved towards the western stand of the GSP Stadium, where the club administration was located. Police officers intervened in an effort to push the group back.
Police response and supporter actions
Police reported using chemical agents during the operation to disperse the crowd. Supporters responded by throwing stones at police officers. No injuries were reported in the official statement.
Damage to police vehicles
As a result of the incidents, five police service vehicles sustained damage, according to the same source.
Ongoing examinations
The Cyprus Police said examinations are continuing to establish the full circumstances of the incidents. No further details were provided at this stage.
Cyprus Police Association condemns GSP Stadium violence after APOEL–AEK match
The Cyprus Police Association has issued a strongly worded statement condemning the incidents that took place at the GSP Stadium in Nicosia following the football match between APOEL and AEK Larnaca. The association said the events exceeded all limits of fan violence and amounted to clear criminal behaviour.
Condemnation of post match incidents
In its statement, the Cyprus Police Association expressed shock and strong indignation over what unfolded at the GSP Stadium after the end of the match. It said the incidents went beyond any acceptable form of supporter related violence and escalated into outright criminal acts.
Damage to state property and police vehicles
The association stated that the actions of those involved were not limited to attacks on police officers, but extended to what it described as unprecedented destruction of state property. It referred to the complete destruction of police patrol cars and service vehicles, calling it a direct attack on the state and on taxpayers.
The statement also highlighted the theft of equipment from police vehicles, describing it as an extremely dangerous act.
Warning over possession of police equipment
The Cyprus Police Association warned that the possession and use of police equipment by civilians constitutes a serious felony. It said it is unacceptable for police officers to be left exposed to organised groups operating in what it described as urban guerrilla style conditions.
Call for arrests and accountability
The association demanded the immediate use of all available means, including CCTV footage and witness testimony, to identify those responsible. It stressed that anyone found in possession of stolen police equipment must be arrested and brought before justice without delay.
It also questioned how incidents of such scale were allowed to escalate into acts of looting, calling for full protection and adequate resources for officers tasked with managing such dangerous situations.
Concerns over public order and policing
Concluding its statement, the Cyprus Police Association said it will not remain a bystander to what it described as the degradation of the police institution. It warned that the theft of equipment and destruction of patrol vehicles represents the final stage of disorder that some have allowed to develop in football stadiums.
The statement ended with a question on whether the public wants a police force capable of enforcing the law or a police force that becomes a target for criminals.