Egyptian and Syrian migrants tear down French flag from embassy in Cyprus

About 80 Muslims migrants to Cyprus, mostly Syrian and Egyptian, staged a protest outside the French embassy in Nicosia earlier this week.

In fact, some of them lowered the French flag in reaction to the measures taken by President Emmanuel Macron to reduce extremist Islamic violence in France after the beheading of a 47-year-old year old teacher who showed an image of Muhammed, the founder of Islam, to his class.

The demonstrators also shouted slogans against Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades because of his support to France.

Anastasiades was especially vocal against Turkish President Erdogan's repeated statements that Macron gets a mental check.

“This attack on the French president by the leader of a country candidate for EU membership is a vulgar affront to the principles and values of the Union,” Anastasiades said.

Police arrested five people. One for attacking a police officer and the other four for lowering the French flag.

All the arrested are aged from 20 to 31 years old.

The assailant was released but appeared in court yesterday. The other four Egyptians and Syrians were taken to court and remanded in custody while others are wanted.