The Cyprus police are not renowned for their efficiency. The failure to prevent or even manage the racist pogroms in Chloraka and Limassol in late August and early September 2023 are striking examples of the force's inability and/or unwillingness to prevent things and situations.

From the complete inaction against the fascist onslaught we experienced six months ago, however, we seem to have gone to the other extreme. In recent months, during which the mobilisations of radical groups have intensified, mainly because of the genocide perpetrated by the State of Israel against the Palestinians, we have seen members of the repressive forces show increasing aggression against peaceful demonstrators.

The culmination of this trend was the unprovoked attack by the cops against a handful of protesters who were protesting on Saturday afternoon (27 April) outside the Limassol Police Directorate for the state murder of Anis. As the video published by afoa.cy records, the police officers beat, swore and verbally abused protesters, calling them "insulting".

It is clear that the attitude of the police is the product of a political decision. As we saw in the case of As Dame on 13 February 2021, where the cops were beaten to a pulp simply because protesters came from the radical space, so now when the state has to deal with the "troublesome fringe", it goes into full aggressive mode.

How else can the invasion of the fifth floor apartment of the dangerous building in Limassol by the cops, which led to the death of Anis on 10 April, be explained? And how can the arrest of 10 protesters and the beating of others for calling the police "murderers" be justified?

The Christodoulides government is obviously feeling the pressure. The public's dissatisfaction with its inefficiency, as recorded in a series of opinion polls, is leading Nikos Christodoulides to a much-played formula: targeting the weak and repression. In the last month we have witnessed decisions and statements which have 'armed' the hands of the police, but which also tickle the conservative reflexes of society. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

We must stand as a mound in this turmoil. We must not give in to repression. To resist fascism. Shoulder to shoulder!