Six stabbed, 24 arrested as violence mars Arsenal's Premier League victory parade in London
Six people were stabbed and 24 arrested after Arsenal's Premier League victory parade in north London, with one man hospitalised in a life-threatening condition before being stabilised.
A celebration turns violent
Hundreds of thousands of Arsenal supporters lined the streets around the Emirates Stadium on Sunday to celebrate the club's first Premier League title in 22 years. Estimates of the crowd size ranged from 750,000 to one million people. The Metropolitan Police deployed more than 500 officers to police the event, which saw the men's team, the women's team — winners of the FIFA Champions Cup — and club staff parade through north London on four open-top buses.
Arrests and assaults on police
A total of 24 people were arrested during the event. Ten suspects were detained on suspicion of assaulting police officers, with one allegedly throwing racist abuse. One officer suffered a slash wound to the hand and another was hit on the head by an object thrown from the crowd. Other arrests were made for offences including sexual assault, grievous bodily harm, possession of class C drugs, possession of a knife, being drunk and disorderly, obstructing police, affray, and breach of a dispersal order. Four police vans in Theberton Street, Islington, were left with broken lights and dents.
We had been clear that violence and other criminality would not be tolerated and unfortunately there were pockets of anti-social behaviour and incidents where officers needed to intervene, including assaults on their colleagues.
Stabbings after the crowds dispersed
Later in the evening, after most of the crowds had gone home, six stabbings occurred along the parade route. Most of the victims were not seriously hurt, but a man in his 20s was taken to hospital in a life-threatening condition after being stabbed shortly before 8:30 p.m. His condition has since been stabilised. Police were granted extra stop-and-search powers overnight.
As the evening progressed and the majority of the crowds made their way home, there was sadly further violence, including gang-related incidents. Officers were swiftly on scene to each stabbing and investigations are ongoing.
Emergency services stretched
Throughout the day, the London Fire Brigade rescued around 75 fans who became stuck at height after climbing onto rooftops and other structures to watch the parade. The brigade also attended a small fire at a hotel believed to have been caused by a flare. The fire brigade had earlier warned fans not to climb on rooftops.
Aftermath and ongoing investigations
Chief Superintendent Jason Stewart, who leads policing in Islington, said officers would continue patrols in the area while investigations continue. Commander Stuart Bell thanked the vast majority of supporters who celebrated safely and responsibly, but emphasised that the violence was unacceptable.
Our officers are back out on patrol today to provide a reassuring presence and our investigation teams are working tirelessly to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
