13 arrested in Cyprus after violence targeting migrants and their property

2 September 2023 (Euronews) Cypriot police said Saturday they had arrested 13 people when an anti-migrant march in Limassol, the island's second-largest city, turned violent and property vandalized.

Police said five people were injured during the unrest that erupted on Friday night in the southern port city after about 500 people took to the streets to take part in the march.

It said protesters burned rubbish bins and vandalized shop windows, while Cypriot media quoted witnesses as saying some had attacked foreigners.

Police used water cannons to disperse the demonstrators, some of whom were masked and carried a banner refusing to take in refugees.

The violence came days after about 20 people were arrested during violent clashes between Cypriots and migrants near the western resort of Paphos, where authorities began evicting Syrians from an apartment complex after receiving complaints.

EU member Cyprus says it is on the "frontline" on the Mediterranean migration route.