A section of Celtic supporters are preparing for a mass protest outside a Glasgow police station before the club’s next Scottish Premiership fixture.
Organised by The Green Brigade, the demonstration at London Road Police Station prior to Saturday’s match against Hearts is part of a campaign titled “Fans Against Criminalisation,” which seeks to address growing concerns over police treatment of Celtic fans and what they describe as the abuse of police powers
The protest follows increasing tensions between Celtic supporters and law enforcement, with many fans claiming they have been unfairly targeted in recent months.
This unrest comes on the back of a series of incidents, including controversial police actions during the recent Glasgow derby at Celtic Park.
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On Sunday, March 16, tensions between fans and police reached a boiling point. Several reports emerged of heavy-handed policing tactics, with numerous Celtic supporters stopped and searched by officers both before and after the match. While, others were "kettled" and denied access to the game completely.
Fans have accused police of excessive surveillance and discriminatory treatment, particularly singling out Celtic punters.
The situation escalated when a number of arrests were made for offences such as public order violations, but fans argue that many of these arrests were unjustified and stemmed from an overreach by the police.
Sharing their perspective on the events, North Curve Celtic released a statement last week: “Yesterday, there was a premeditated attack on football supporters by Police Scotland. We believe their actions were unlawful and we are currently taking legal advice. The actions of the police should serve as a stark warning to all football supporters in Scotland and anyone who values civil liberties.
“Scottish football has a committed, passionate, creative and overwhelmingly positive supporters culture. Instead of embracing this, it is routinely targeted, often leading to mainly young males being unnecessarily and harshly criminalised. Strangely, yesterday's incident was exactly 12 years since the infamous 'Gallowgate Kettle', which sparked mass demonstrations and ignited the successful Fans Against Criminalisation campaign.
“In light of recent events, we are calling for a formal review of fan engagement in Scottish football with a view to implementing a formal framework for fan engagement at both a central and a club level. It is only through proper two-way engagement with supporters that supporter concerns can be efficiently managed. We will begin consulting and coordinating with all interested supporters in Scotland on how to achieve this.”
Bhoys Celtic, who will also be involved in this upcoming protest, echoed the sentiment.
Their statement said: “All football fans in Scotland must unite to ensure we are ready for a campaign similar to the one that repealed the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act. All active supporter groups must document heavy-handed policing and those behind it, and we must campaign for political and legal accountability.
“In a country with the highest per capita attendance of football fans in Europe, alienation of the next generation of working-class football fans is not something to be taken lightly.”
