Safe Pass police told off by unfriendly crowd

At least two people have been arrested in connection with a bar incident in Limassol Saturday night, when police officers who went to carry out Safe Pass inspections ended up being surrounded by an unfriendly crowd.

According to local media, Limassol police responded to an incident outside a local bar Saturday night following a complaint about a large crowd having a party on the sidewalk.

The incident took place late at night, around 10:45pm, when officers from Limassol Central Station and Crime Prevention for Public Health arrived outside a bar where over 150 people were gathered for a party.

Police declined to provide details about the incident but confirmed the issuance of four arrest warrants, with individuals detained on Sunday and two others still wanted by law enforcement authorities.

Local reports said partygoers were consuming alcohol around tables that had been placed on the sidewalk, with many dancing on the pavement and a majority not adhering to social distancing guidelines.

Police also confirmed that officers went to the bar to check whether people had a Safe Pass, a way people can use to access freely indoor and outdoor areas such as bars and restaurants by proving vaccination, previous infection, or a negative rapid test of COVID-19.

But reports said when officers attempted to carry out the inspection, customers started shouting and protesting over police presence.

Local media also said at one point, members of police were surrounded by unfriendly partygoers who pushed officers away and told them to go away.

One partygoer is purported to have thrown a large glass towards a police patrol vehicle, which was parked right outside the bar, causing the windshield to break.

The owner of the bar also received a fine for health law violations and a noise ordinance citation pertaining to playing music through loudspeakers without a permit.