A group of Greek Cypriot protesters staged a demonstration at the Derinya checkpoint on Sunday evening, while a video emerged showing masked men holding baseball bats, throwing flares, and chanting slogans during the incident. The protest was against the opening last week of the Maras/Varosha shoreline to the public.
A fire broke out in the UN-controlled buffer zone as a result of the flares and fireworks thrown by the Greek Cypriot demonstrators.
According to reports, an estimated 250 Greek Cypriot demonstrators gathered near the southern end of the Derinya crossing point on Sunday evening around 8 pm, chanting anti-Turkish slogans.
A group of Turkish Cypriots also gathered at the TRNC end of the crossing point in response but no incidents took place between the groups.
Police took strict measures at the crossing point, preventing the Turkish Cypriot demonstrators from approaching the crossing point.
The fire service was on standby to intervene if the fire in the buffer zone were to spread to the TRNC side.
BRT