Nicola Sturgeon 'cannot turn a blind eye' to Rangers crowds
- Published
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she "cannot simply turn a blind eye" to crowds of Rangers supporters breaching lockdown rules at the weekend.
There were mass gatherings in Glasgow after Rangers clinched its first league title since 2011.
Ms Sturgeon said the club could have done more to stop it happening.
Rangers earlier wrote to the first minister saying strong criticism from the Scottish government and Police Scotland was "disappointing".
Ms Sturgeon told MSPs during her Tuesday Covid update that discussions were taking place to make sure the scenes were not repeated.
She said she would report back on the outcome ahead of the Old Firm match scheduled for 21 March.
"We will have to try to assure ourselves there will be no repeat of the scenes we saw at the weekend and that, frankly, is very much a work in progress," Ms Sturgeon said.
Officers made 28 arrests, of suspects aged 18 to 44, and seven people were issued with fixed penalty notices
Ms Sturgeon said she shared the "anger and despair" of the majority of people as crowds of supporters flagrantly breached the rules.
"The behaviour witnessed at the weekend was disgraceful and selfish," she said.
In a letter to the first minister, Rangers chairman Douglas Park said he was "at a loss as to what more Rangers Football Club could have done to limit the reaction to winning our historic 55th league title".
The letter said: "It is particularly disappointing that there has been a lack of acknowledgement from the Scottish government to the wide range of efforts we undertook to limit public safety issues.
"It is also particularly disappointing that Mr Swinney has chosen to lambast Rangers publicly, given the fact that we had proactively initiated engagement with Police Scotland, the SPFL, the Scottish government as well as a local MP."
Nicola Sturgeon said Rangers needed to show much more leadership.
Ms Sturgeon said the behaviour of fans was "disgraceful and selfish"
She said: "At no point did Rangers simply and unequivocally say to their fans 'stay at home' or when they were gathered say 'go home'."
She said the police were put in a "deeply invidious situation" by the behaviour of fans and she would speaking to Police Scotland to consider what further action might be necessary to avoid any repeat.
Officers made 28 arrests and handed out fixed penalty notices for offences including assaulting police officers, sectarian-related breaches of the peace, breaking Covid rules and use of pyrotechnics.
Police said no officers were injured and confirmed those arrested were aged 18 to 44.
Police Scotland's chief constable Ian Livingstone has asked a leading QC John Scott to review the force's response to the title celebrations.
Mr Scott was asked last April to scrutinise its response to the pandemic and provide updates to the Scottish Police Authority.
Mr Livingstone said Mr Scott had now been asked to consider the events of the weekend in relation to the "fundamental human rights principles of legality, necessity and proportionality."
Mr Livingstone added: "This should not have happened given the continuing public health crisis.
"Experienced officers, highly-skilled in public order management, took appropriate steps to manage these challenging circumstances to protect people and minimise disruption to communities."
Benches were broken in George Square during the celebrations
Glasgow City Council said a number of memorial benches donated by grieving relatives were damaged in George Square, and that it was working to trace the families.
A crowdfunding appeal to pay for the repairs, set up by the owner of the Louden Tavern at Ibrox Stadium, quickly raised its £5,500 target, with any extra funds being donated to the Anthony Nolan cancer charity.
Under current Scottish government coronavirus guidance, public gatherings are banned and a maximum of two people from separate households are allowed to meet outdoors.
Scotland's chief medical officer Dr Gregor Smith warned there was a "real risk" the celebrations would lead to a spike in Covid infections in the coming weeks.
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