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Sunday, 14 February 2021_Cypriot police used water cannon and tear gas in rare clashes with protesters as hundreds demonstrated on Saturday against government corruption and coronavirus restrictions.
Protesters had gathered at a park in central Nicosia where they were surrounded by dozens of police in riot gear.
Several groups including left-wing and anti-fascist activists and trade unions had used social media to call for the protest, citing "state authoritarianism" and corruption – notably over a controversial "golden passport" scheme that was scrapped last year.
Organizers and protesters also voiced anger over the government's response to the coronavirus pandemic, which has battered the Cypriot economy and triggered stringent lockdown restrictions.
Olivia Patsalou, a 37-year-old who is looking for work, said she was mainly protesting over the passport affair and "extreme" coronavirus restrictions that were making it harder for her to find a job.
She said she had hoped for "a peaceful demonstration to show our dissatisfaction with the government, with how it's handled every scandal and how it's handled the coronavirus situation.”
Some protesters beat drums or shouted in the face of the police, who moved in from several streets to block the demonstrators.
Those present at the start of the protest included people with young children and at least two people in wheelchairs, as well as young men and women in black hoodies and balaclavas.
"I wasn't expecting (the police) to be so eager to exert force and violence," said Patsalou.
One woman was seen lying on the ground suffering from the effects of tear gas, and a man in a wheelchair had to seek refuge in a block of flats.
Another protester was later treated by paramedics after being knocked to the ground by water cannon.
Police told AFP that eight people were arrested in the protest, which was held in defiance of coronavirus restrictions.
The Kathimerini local news website said people were fined for breaking Covid-19 restrictions.
Most protesters were wearing masks, an AFP journalist said.
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