Police ready to use water cannon on Apollon protesters

The police water cannon will be ready to use on Thursday as Apollon football fans plan to demonstrate outside the force’s Limassol headquarters over unfair treatment.

Authorities said they are prepared for the protest held in response to the five-month prison sentence imposed on two Apollon fans.

“We will take all the necessary security and policing measures to regulate this protest…and to prevent any incidents and other unwanted incidents of violence,” police spokesman Christos Andreou told the Cyprus News Agency.

Apollon football fans said they will start marching from their club house to the Limassol police headquarters at 7pm.

A crisis handling centre will be set up at the Limassol CID, staffed by an officer to coordinate the operation, Andreou said, adding that a large number of officers will be on the scene.

Police’s water cannon, commonly known as Aiantas, “will be on standby to intervene if the need arises”, the spokesman said.

About two years ago, a girl suffered permanent eye damage after she was hit by the high velocity water from the police’s water cannon during an anti-corruption protest in Nicosia.