Newsroom
December 13 has gradually become a date marked by unrest. What was once an ordinary winter night has, over the last few years, turned into an informal gathering day for youths who engage in vandalism and confrontations with the police. While social media often portrays the day as some kind of anti-police ritual, it is not an official anniversary, nor does it stem from any organized movement. Instead, it has evolved into a loosely coordinated moment of disorder, one where many participating teenagers appear to overlook both the legal consequences and the origins of the symbolism they invoke.
Police on alert and clear warnings to parents
Ahead of this year’s date, the President of ISOTITA’s Police Branch, Nikos Loizidis, cautioned that both minors and their parents will be held fully accountable if incidents occur. He urged families not to treat the night as a harmless “celebration” and warned that parents who allow unsupervised participation in anti-police gatherings risk facing the implications of Cyprus’ parental-responsibility laws.
Anti-riot units are scheduled to be deployed across parks and public areas, not only on the night of December 13 but throughout the following evenings, to deter property damage and potentially dangerous clashes. Loizidis stressed that the increasingly hostile attitude displayed by some minors “starts from within the home,” describing the behavior as an imported form of “pseudo-bravado” disconnected from local reality.
A night that has become a “meeting point” for disorder
In Cyprus, the pattern has become familiar: groups of mostly underage youths roam urban neighborhoods in the early hours of December 13, often with their faces covered. Their actions frequently include setting rubbish bins on fire or damaging school property and public equipment, aiming to provoke police intervention. The confrontations typically lack any political message or organized demand, making the night less a protest and more a ritual of senseless destruction.
The previous year provided a stark example. Minor youths in several districts hurled stones, firecrackers, and Molotov cocktails at police, damaging patrol vehicles, school buildings, Christmas decorations, and public infrastructure.
The symbolism behind “1312” and ACAB
The numbers 1312, a numeric representation of the acronym ACAB, circulate among young participants, often stripped of their historical roots. While many view it as a modern anti-police slogan, its origins go back almost a century.
The expression ACAB (All Cops Are Bastards) first appeared in 1920s Britain, within labor movements and working-class communities that saw the police as an arm of state oppression. The phrase spread through prisons, youth subcultures, and social struggles over subsequent decades, long before its revival in the United States.
The slogan became globally visible again during the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests in 2014, following two high-profile cases of police violence, Michael Brown in Missouri and Eric Garner in New York, both of which ended with no charges filed against the officers involved. Although ACAB was not created by BLM, the movement reintroduced it to a worldwide audience and tied it to debates over police accountability.
A Cypriot issue with real consequences
While the symbols and slogans may be borrowed from abroad, the repercussions in Cyprus are very real. Authorities stress that minors participating in violent acts will face legal charges, and their parents may also be held responsible. The yearly disturbances have revived broader concerns over youth delinquency, family oversight, and the ease with which online culture can fuel dangerous behavior offline.
**This text aims solely to document the situation and provide context. Authorities remind the public that participation in vandalism or violence carries significant legal consequences for both youths and their families.**
