RANGERS FANS DEFY POLICE WHO FORECAST Many more arrests to follow CROWD TROUBLE

Special report by Bill Heaney

Police Scotland has said “many more arrests will follow” what it described as “disgraceful” scenes as Rangers fans celebrated in Glasgow city centre.

Five police officers were injured and 20 people arrested as crowds were dispersed due to “rising disorder”.

Thousands of fans had taken to the streets after Rangers’ first Scottish Premiership title win in a decade.

They marched from Ibrox Stadium to George Square on Saturday where flares were set off and missiles thrown.

Police broke up the crowds after about five hours due to “rising disorder”.

Police Scotland Deputy Chief Constable Will Kerr.

Police Scotland Deputy Chief Constable Will Kerr said investigations were continuing and further arrests would be made in the coming weeks.

Glasgow remains in level 3 of Covid lockdown restrictions, with large gatherings outdoors not permitted.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: “To say I’m utterly disgusted by the Rangers fans who rampaged through the city would be an understatement.”

There had been a high, visible police presence throughout the day as huge crowds gathered outside Ibrox before the final game of the season against Aberdeen.

Police Scotland said it had declined a request to facilitate the march to George Square and urged the crowd to go home.

After supporters celebrated in George Square for about five hours, officers said some fans became unruly.

Property was damaged, several people assaulted and missiles and flares were thrown at officers.

Officers formed a line and cleared the group from the area just after 21:00, with Police Scotland describing the fans’ behaviour as “disgraceful”.

“Our officers became the focus of the crowd’s attention with missiles and flares being thrown at them,” Chief Superintendent Mark Sutherland, Police Scotland’s Divisional Commander for Greater Glasgow, said in a statement.

“Our policing response has been proportionate. We have responded appropriately and consistently to the behaviour of those gathered.

“This disgraceful behaviour which clearly endangered public and officer safety could not be tolerated and officers dressed in full public order equipment after appropriate warnings were given, moved in to disperse those present.

“Although most of those present dispersed, a number remained and confronted officers with violence and aggression. Missiles were thrown and officers came under direct attack as George Square and the surrounding area was cleared.”

Nicola Sturgeon, pictured left, said she was “angry on behalf of every law-abiding citizen”.

The first minister added: “In normal times, the violence and vandalism and the vile anti-Catholic prejudice that was on display would have been utterly unacceptable. But mid-pandemic, in a city with cases on the rise, it was also selfish beyond belief.”

Ms Sturgeon said she hoped Rangers would “reflect on what more must be done to tackle this behaviour by fans, albeit a minority”.

She added: “However, ultimate responsibility lies with those who behaved in such a thuggish, sectarian and selfish manner. And that’s why we must let the police do their job.”

Scotland’s national clinical director, Prof Jason Leitch, pictured right, said Glasgow was in a “fragile” place and it was “disappointing to see people break the rules, in whatever setting and for whatever reason”.

He told BBC Scotland’s The Sunday Show: “This virus has not gone away – we’re not joking, we’re not pretending – it’s absolutely real.

“And the risk, particularly now in Glasgow, is quite high and Glasgow is fragile.

“You’ve seen us make an enormously difficult decision this week on our advice that has kept a bit of Glasgow in the same level.

“It feels like a tough day to watch that yesterday if you are a business owner or a family waiting for lunch or dinner.”

Scottish Police Federation chairman David Hamilton said the people in George Square had shown a “blatant disregard for the safety of the public and police officers”.

He told The Sunday Show: “To see that number of people blatantly ignoring all the health advice, the government advice, the police advice – even the club advice to disperse – is just absolutely appalling.

“Policing in this country is, of course, done by consent. The whole strategy throughout the coronavirus pandemic has been about making sure people take personal responsibility and they have not done so.

“These people should not have been there in the first place and when they were asked to move, they should have gone.”

Fans had been warned against gathering to celebrate due to rising Covid-19 cases in Glasgow.

The Union Bears fan group had earlier announced plans to walk from the stadium to George Square.

On Friday night, scores of Rangers fans lit red flares simultaneously along the River Clyde in the city as they marked the end of the season.

In an earlier statement on Saturday, Ch Supt Sutherland said: “We understand the importance of football in Glasgow, how it connects our communities and, is for many, a culture and a way of life.

“We are, however, still in the midst of a pandemic and under coronavirus restrictions people should not be gathering for any reason.”

He said a request for a fan procession to the city centre had been declined, but police later decided to escort large groups of supporters as they made their way to George Square in order to minimise disruption.

Some arrests were made in the afternoon for anti-social behaviour.

But Ch Supt Sutherland said due to the largely peaceful nature of the crowd at that time “it would not be proportionate for our resources to use a high level of force through public order policing to disperse those gathering”.

However, Democrat readers are not prepared to swallow that kind of spin doctoring — even if it is from the police.

Karen Jones wrote on social media: “Here are some comments from social media: “Sitting here listening to the fireworks still going off, having watched the horrendous videos that have been streamed all day of the ‘celebrations’ in Glasgow, including the lovely versions of ‘Up to our knees in Fenian blood’, of George Square, trashed yet again, and I get irritated at the hashtag ‘Scotland’s Shame’.

“Is it Scotland’s shame, or is it a small pocket of Scotland’s shame? Are people in the highlands, the islands, the borders out behaving in the way we’ve seen in Glasgow? Why do we tarnish the whole country this way?

“We need to own our problem, own our sectarianism. Accept that it’s a relatively small area of the country that behaves this badly. Accept that a minority of people, who rarely see the inside of a church of any denomination, are the problem, as they hang their hatred on religion, when it’s more to do with anti-Irish sentiment or anti-union sentiment than anything else.

“We need to pressure politicians, church leaders, football clubs, Police Scotland, to do better at stifling this hatred on all sides.

“But we must not, ever, pretend that this scourge represents our whole country. It does not. It’s a small, hate-filled core. I, probably naively, after all these years, still think we can defeat them. In a way, I think the terrible scenes we’ve witnessed today may help.

“And from the Covid point of view, anyone kidding themselves that this, in any way, is equivalent to the protest in Kenmure Street [the arrest of immigrants by UK government officials], can just bugger off. If you can’t see the difference, there is no hope for you.

“But that is the saddest thing here – we saw the best of Glasgow, and the absolute worst, in such a short space of time.”

Flares were all part of the demonstration of defiance in George Square.

 

Sharon Murphy wrote: “As a non Rangers or Celtic fan. I agree. I am however encouraged that the majority of school children now are different and give me hope for the future.

“For example. My Ryan is Celtic fan and goes to OLSP. He has a good group of friends. A few go to OLSP and support Rangers, a few go to the academy and support Celtic.

“They all play in same local team and go see Dumbarton together. The last old firm they split up to watch the game, however after I had a chap at my door and three smiling Rangers boys were there.

“After three minutes of puffed chests and rubbing of Celtic friends heads the group all headed together to eastie to play football. Yesterday Ryan the Celtic fan watched the celebration videos from Glasgow and said to me… ‘good on them, we’d do the same if we had won’.

“I feel the sectarianism is drifting away.. perhaps at the expense of losing religion. However, the younger ones will have every chance to pick up their spirituality later in life if they choose to do so. Right now their religion is football and friendship.”

John Paul Lusk wrote: “Like Karen suggests I think many old firm fans don’t realise that they’re a small bubble. They never take a look outside it and see many in Scotland don’t care and they don’t believe it, (how many times have you experienced ’aye but who do you REALLY support’) instead thinking everyone has a side In the ‘fight’.

“It doesn’t take long outside the bubble of the old firm to see how small and pathetic the whole carry on is when its at its worst.

“At its best it can be a passion rarely equalled, at its worst it’s a group of entitled morons with an illiterate grasp on politics and religion wielding both as weapons.”

Jessica Strain  wrote: “I was in town [Glasgow] yesterday, it felt like a war zone. Don’t think I’ve felt such anxiety being somewhere in years. To be honest, it was horrible.”

And Ralph Thomson asked: “Here’s a wee test, how many respectable Rangers fans do you know that have ignored this post, said nothing about the whole thing or tried to make excuses or justify it?. (Im not asking btw).

“But i’ve seen decent folk ignore or make excuses for it because they are blue noses. There you have your answer to why bigotry and hatred are still alive and kicking in the West of Scotland.”

Christopher McEleny wrote: “Imagine the outrage from politicians if thousands were singing about being upto their knees in Muslim blood, or Jewish blood, or the blood of people of colour. Actually imagine the police escorted them doing it.  Then imagine Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf ignored it. Imagine that.”

The Ibrox club were presented with the Scottish Premiership trophy after beating Aberdeen 4-0 and thousands of fans took to the streets in celebration despite Covid restrictions.

Film footage has since emerged of fights between supporters taking place and missiles being thrown at police as they tried to contain the situation.

And the First Minister has today hit out at the decision to take to the streets when Covid cases are on the rise in Glasgow, to the extent that the city will remain in level three as others have their restrictions eased from Monday.

She tweeted: “I’m understandably inundated with messages about yesterday’s disgraceful scenes in Glasgow. Police still have a job to do, which restrains my comments to some extent – but to say I’m utterly disgusted by the Rangers fans who rampaged through the city would be an understatement.

“I’m also angry on behalf of every law abiding citizen. In normal times, the violence and vandalism, and the vile anti Catholic prejudice that was on display, would have been utterly unacceptable. But mid-pandemic, in a city with cases on the rise, it was also selfish beyond belief.

“People across the country still living under the most difficult restrictions – not able to see family or attend weddings and funerals – are rightly furious at the irresponsible actions of a thuggish minority who seem to care little for the risks they pose to other people.

“Understandably people ask questions about if/how government and police can do more to prevent/tackle scenes like these, and there is a need to reflect. That said, @policescotland officers have my admiration and thanks for the job they did in difficult and dangerous circumstances.

Manager Stevie Gerrard celebrates with his team on trophy day at Ibrox Stadium.

“I hope @RangersFC will also reflect on what more must be done to tackle this behaviour by fans, albeit a minority. However, ultimate responsibility lies with those who behaved in such a thuggish, sectarian and selfish manner. And that’s why we must let the police do their job.”

About 5pm tonight, Dan McGinty, editor of The Irish Voice in Glasgow, confirmed that Police Scotland have launched inquiries following the circulation of videos of the Rangers first team celebrating this weekend.

It is alleged that the videos show members of the squad singing ‘F*ck the Pope’ while singing along to Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline.

When contacted by The Irish Voice, a Police Scotland spokesperson confirmed that complaints had been received and that they would be investigated.

“We are aware of the video circulating on social media,” the spokesperson said. “And we will be carrying out inquiries.”

The report goes on to say that numerous individuals have made complaints to Police Scotland, with one saying, “I have chosen to report this as a hate crime and would encourage others to do likewise to start to seriously tackle the anti-Catholicism and anti-Irish racism that has blighted Scottish society for centuries.”

Following contact by The Irish Voice, no-one at Rangers was available for comment.

Police officers were injured when missiles were directed at them as they attempted to finally clear George Square after thousands of supporters gathered there after marching from Ibrox.

In preparation for the disorder, businesses were advised to close for the day, with Irish bars such as Connolly’s in Glasgow’s Merchant City and the Celtic club shop on Argyll Street staying closed.

Following the violent scenes throughout the day, many more businesses in the city centre also took the decision to close.

The aftermath of Saturday saw many politicians finally call out the anti-Catholic bigotry, though there were few mentions of the anti-Irishness which was also on display.

Following on from a promise made during the Call It Out hustings in the run-up to the recent elections—when James Dornan MSP pledged to encourage the use of more accurate terminology—both Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon directly mentioned anti-Catholic prejudice.

“In normal times, the violence [and] vandalism, [and] the vile anti-Catholic prejudice that was on display, would have been utterly unacceptable,” the First Minister said. “But mid-pandemic, in a city with cases on the rise, it was also selfish beyond belief.”

Rangers fans celebrate winning the Scottish Premiership title in George Square.