Police Scotland has called for urgent talks with Celtic and Scottish football authorities after what it called "unacceptable violence" against officers during the club's title celebrations in the Trongate area of Glasgow on Saturday.
Martin O'Neill's side beat Hearts 3-1 in Saturday's Scottish Premiership title decider at Celtic Park, but the match was overshadowed after Hearts said their players were assaulted by fans who invaded the pitch.
Violence and hostility continued into the Trongate area as Celtic fans celebrated a fifth successive title, with police confirming multiple arrests.
Police Scotland condemned "significant levels of disorder" at Trongate, saying in a statement that missiles, including glass bottles, were thrown by supporters while officers were assisting with a medical emergency. The statement said around 3,000 people made their way to Trongate after the match on Saturday, 16 May, where officers faced significant disorder and were injured.
Officers deployed to restore order
Specially trained public order officers were deployed and action was taken to restore order, disperse the crowd and make arrests, according to the police statement. Extensive enquiries are underway to identify others involved, with further arrests expected. Police said a significant amount of alcohol and pyrotechnics were also proactively seized by officers throughout the day.
Assistant chief constable's response
Assistant Chief Constable Mark Sutherland said the majority of fans had respected the appeal from police and partners to act responsibly, but several thousand still descended on Trongate, some of whom engaged in serious disorder. He said Police Scotland's officers had again been left to deal with unacceptable levels of violence and anti-social behaviour, and that being assaulted was not part of the job. Sutherland said a number of officers were injured.
He described the hostility directed at officers as unacceptable and said those involved would be identified and arrested. He added that the mass assembly caused significant disruption to local businesses, residents and members of the public in the city centre.
Talks sought with Celtic and council
Sutherland said urgent discussions with Celtic, wider Scottish football authorities and other stakeholders, including Glasgow City Council, were required to improve public safety, reduce disruption and prevent a repeat. Police Scotland is also engaging with Heart of Midlothian FC to establish whether any of their players were assaulted on the pitch at the end of the match, with the circumstances of that incident under review.
