A traffic cone gets thrown at police officers when clashing with fans after the Millwall v Birmingham game on Saturday evening.
The incident unfolded with officers in riot gear attempting to control unruly individuals in Bermondsey, south London, with police having to issue a statement on the matter, only to be met by fans who have hit back, saying they were poorly treated by them.
This chaos came on a busy day for the Metropolitan Police, with over 2,300 officers deployed to cover 11 significant events across the capital, including a number of football matches, a Six Nations game at Twickenham, and a pro-Palestinian demonstration in central London.
Officers are dealing with multiple public order events across London.
In Bermondsey, there are pockets of violent disorder where officers are dealing with fans as they travel to the tube.
It is not acceptable for officers to be assaulted and we will deal with those responsible. pic.twitter.com/e4M1lBdXqQ
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) March 9, 2024
Responding to the video of a traffic cone thrown at officers by fans, the Met said: ‘Officers are dealing with multiple public order events across London.
‘In Bermondsey, there are pockets of violent disorder where officers are dealing with fans as they travel to the tube.
‘It is not acceptable for officers to be assaulted and we will deal with those responsible.’
Officers, dressed in high vis and riot helmets pushed the crowd back as they tried to make their way to the station, only for a traffic cone to be lobbed and bounces off one’s helmet.
Earlier that afternoon, a big police presence was evident on both sides of the incoming Birmingham fans, ensuring their compliance as they arrived at The Den.
Numerous police vans were stationed along the route and at the stadium, while additional officers were mounted on police horses.
Brum arrive #Millwall pic.twitter.com/P0V7B1DEO3
— Rotherhithe Robin (@AlbionSalter) March 9, 2024
@FBAwayDays Brum headed home from #Millwall pic.twitter.com/1yhBOFtVJh
— Rotherhithe Robin (@AlbionSalter) March 9, 2024
The game meanwhile saw Japhet Tanganga score a 90th-minute winner as the Lions secured their third victory in four under Neil Harris.
Millwall’s Neil Harris: “Japh’s got great pedigree, he’s got a great CV in terms of games at the top level and playing in Europe, and things like that.
“It’s slightly different here for a centre-half and sometimes you have to be a different player here, and the reason I’m at the football club is to try and teach the players what a Millwall player looks like, whether that’s a goalkeeper or a centre-half or a centre-forward.
“All I said to Japh was – not complicated his game – just to make your decisions and I’ll support you, but you can be as aggressive as you like.
“A couple of his tackles were a little bit dubious here against Watford and away at Southampton in the first five minutes, but he shows that he’s buying into it.
“Ultimately, he’s headed the ball a lot (in both boxes) and to be a good Millwall centre-half you have to do that.”
Birmingham’s Mark Venus: “I don’t want to sit here and pick holes in officials. They are what they are in this country and I’m sure everyone has their own opinion of them.
“Everyone has their own opinion of what happened, the incident, and they can make their own mind up.
“I think in the second half we got on top. I think in the first half we were too timid, we didn’t influence, we didn’t hurt their goal enough and I think in the second half we had a lot more purpose, more intensity.
“We took the game to them and we had some opportunities to hit the target, to score, to shoot, and we squandered them, really.
“I think they’ve got the stomach for the fight – they showed that in the second half.
“I think they just have to learn to do the basics a bit better and learn to make the right decisions.”
Millwall (4-4-2): Matija Sarkic, Ryan Leonard, Japhet Tanganga, Jake Cooper (captain), Joe Bryan, George Honeyman, Billy Mitchell, George Saville, Duncan Watmore (Ryan Longman 60), Michael Obafemi (Shaun Hutchinson 90+2), Zian Flemming (Brooke Norton-Cuffy 90+2).
Substitutes not used: Bartosz Bialkowski, Danny McNamara, Murray Wallace, Adam Mayor, Casper de Norre, Romain Esse.
Bookings: Longman 63, Bryan 87.
Blues (4-2-3-1): John Ruddy (Captain), Cody Drameh, Marc Roberts, Emanuel Aiwu, Lee Buchanan, Ivan Sunjic (Jordan James 83), Paik Seung-ho, Koji Miyoshi (George Hall 73), Alex Pritchard (Lukas Jutkiewicz 83), Juninho Bacuna, Jay Stansfield.
Substitutes not used: Neil Etheridge, Ethan Laird, Gary Gardner, Andre Dozzell, Siriki Dembele, Tyler Roberts.
Bookings: Buchanan 90+6.
Referee: Darren Bond.
Attendance: 17,008 (away 2,009).
Twitter users reacted after a traffic cone gets thrown at police officers when clashing with fans who attended Millwall v Birmingham…
@MRMAXBRADLEY_: Police heavy handed with football fans as per
@NorthernRoar: Yet @metpoliceuk turns a blind eye to those supporting terrorist sympathyising gatherings on the streets of London.
@kaiserblue81: A friend got separated the other side of police. Several times we asked officers where we were being escorted to so that we could tell him where to go. Replies included – I’m Scottish, I don’t understand you, I don’t know, ask someone else, just keep moving. So unprofessional
@MarkPre58451981: Greeted outside by hundreds of police in full riot gear and at least half a dozen horses, just to walk us back to the tube station!
@LeeAHinton95: Just the standard walk back to the tube station post match…
@trixy372: Absolute shambles of a police force. @metpoliceuk utter disrespect for us all.cattle herding fans who just wanted get home,Millwall were all tucked up in bed by the time we actually got to the station.#bcfc #fuckthemet
@BlackburnEnder: Football fans treated like cattle again. Demonstrators wouldn’t get treated this way.
@Zigiclegend19: Football fans treated like scum as always.
@callummaguire96: London on its knees but the @metpoliceuk will continue to embarrass themselves with their policing of football fans. Let them enjoy themselves. They are not criminals! 🖕
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