The police on Wednesday denied reports that people had been arrested for flying Palestinian flags outside Limassol’s Alphamega Stadium ahead of Tuesday night’s football match between Pafos FC and Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Reports had surfaced on social media that three individuals had been arrested after releasing a Palestinian flag attached to a balloon into the air above the stadium, with activist group Afoa decrying “the extreme alignment of the Republic of Cyprus with the apartheid state of Israel”.

However, a police spokesperson told the Cyprus Mail that it was not the case that the three had been arrested, instead saying that the protesters had “been asked to follow the police to a local station and been charged in writing”.

The spokesperson added that the trio had a total of five flags in their possession when they were intercepted by the police, and that they were charged with displaying a banner containing political content near a sports venue – an act which is banned in Cyprus.

Israeli fans let off flares in the away end

It is not clear whether the “political content” referred to the Palestinian flag itself, or whether there was other political content on the four remaining flags in the individuals’ possession.

Inside the stadium, fans of Pafos FC complained of double standards in the policing of Cypriot and Israeli spectators, with Maccabi Tel Aviv fans letting off flares and smoke bombs in the away end.

On the pitch, the two sides played out a 1-1 draw, with a Mons Bassouamina opener for Pafos FC being cancelled out by Elad Madmon, who equalised with the last kick of the game.

The second leg will be played next Wednesday in the Serbian town of Backa Topola, with Maccabi Tel Aviv’s home European fixtures having been moved from Israel due to the conflict in the Middle East.

Smoke from the away end engulfs the Alphamega Stadium

The police’s denial notwithstanding, Akel described the incident as “a provocative act of authoritarianism, intimidation, and criminalisation of freedom of expression”.

“This provocation is even greater, given that inside the stadium, the police had no problem with the Israeli flags which were displayed, while allowing the Israeli team’s fans to light flares and smoke bombs, which are otherwise criminal offences,” the party added.

It also pointed out that “all of this took place in front of [President Nikos] Christodoulides, who was present at the stadium”.

“We demand from the police and from the justice minister [Marios Hartsiotis] to answer; on the basis of which law and on what grounds is the Palestinian flag considered a prohibited symbol? We call for the immediate withdrawal of charges against the people.”