Scottish government condemns 'violence, vandalism and antisocial behaviour' seen during Celtic title celebrations in Glasgow
The Scottish government has condemned the "violence, vandalism, and antisocial behaviour" that took place in Glasgow as football fans gathered to celebrate Celtic's title win.
Around 25,000 people flocked to the city centre on Saturday to mark the Hoops lifting the Scottish Premiership trophy - for the third successive season.
Across the day, Police Scotland made 19 arrests for various offences and enquiries remain ongoing into a number of incidents.
The force said four police officers were injured during the disorder and received medical treatment.
Superintendent John Menzies said the disorder included the use of pyrotechnics and alcohol-related offences.
Supporters were spotted perched on top of traffic lights around Glasgow Cross and Trongate.
One bus stop had people crammed on its roof, while the council closed roads citing a "large gathering of football fans".
The local authority was left to clean up a "substantial amount of litter, debris, and broken glass", with the repair cost of damaged infrastructure still unknown.
Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken branded the celebrations "depressing and unacceptable", as she thanked cleansing teams for their overnight clean-up.
At the Scottish parliament on Tuesday, community safety minister Siobhian Brown said: "The Scottish government condemns the incidents of violence, vandalism and antisocial behaviour that took place in Glasgow on Saturday.
"Any threat to public safety and any damage caused by the disorder is just not acceptable."
Ms Brown thanked all those involved in the clean-up and stated that the "vast majority of fans are well-behaved".
SNP MSP John Mason raised the issue at Holyrood, saying some residents were afraid to leave their homes.
He also stated a major road junction was "completely blocked" to traffic, the Tron Theatre had to "cancel" a performance that evening, and the A&E at Glasgow Royal Infirmary was "completely swamped".
Ms Brown said the behaviour was "absolutely unacceptable", adding there is "no reason" why a celebration should degenerate into disorder.
Her comments come ahead of the Scottish Cup final match between Celtic and Rangers at Hampden Park in the city on Saturday.
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Ms Brown said Holyrood would continue to work with footballing authorities, Police Scotland and fan groups to address issues and ensure matches are an enjoyable experience for everyone during the game and afterwards.
She said the governing bodies and individual clubs "must consider what measures they can take and how they can use their influence to help tackle misconduct".
The minister added that the Scottish government has never ruled out the concept of strict liability, where clubs can face punishment for the poor behaviour of their fans.
She said: "We've never ruled out strict liability as an option for incidents at football within stadiums.
"However, our preferred solution has always been that the footballing authorities themselves proactively shape and deliver a robust and meaningful solution to tackle any unacceptable conduct by what is a minority of supporters.
"I understand that Glasgow City Council has had discussions with clubs to discuss organised celebrations, and I fully encourage such dialogue between football clubs and local authorities about conducting safe events for their fans which minimise the impact on the community."
