Police Scotland set up dedicated team to probe disorder after Gers victory
POLICE Scotland has set up a dedicated team and online portal to investigate the “violence and disorder” during Rangers fan celebrations in Glasgow city centre on Saturday.
Thousands of supporters defied Covid-19 warnings against large gatherings and massed in George Square in the heart of the city to celebrate their club winning their first Scottish Premiership championship since 2011.
The square was strewn with hundreds of broken bottles, plastic bags and spent flares after flag-draped fans were seen attacking each other and launching bollards and other missiles at riot police.
Their actions saw the hashtag “Scotlandsshame” trend on Twitter, with videos of the violence and disturbances going viral online.
Five officers were injured and 28 arrests were made – with the force saying many more will follow.
Detective Inspector Craig Warren, who is leading the investigation, said: “The public can be confident we are doing everything possible to identify those responsible for the violence and disorder on Saturday.
“This will take time due to the numbers involved.
“Rest assured, if you were involved in causing this disorder, violence or anti-social behaviour, you will be arrested.
“We are reviewing CCTV, video and still images and I would appeal to anyone who may have captured incidents on their mobiles to please get in touch with us.
“You may have footage that could help us in our investigation and it’s vital we speak with you.
“The Major Incident Public Portal (MIPP) is now available for the public to send any information, photographs or images directly to the investigation team.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon condemned the scenes in a post on Twitter on Sunday.
She said she was “utterly disgusted by the Rangers fans who rampaged through the city”, adding: “I’m also angry on behalf of every law-abiding citizen.
“In normal times, the violence & vandalism, & 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.”