Three officers assaulted in Glasgow brawl after Bare Knuckle Fighting event
Police were attacked following a bare knuckle fighting event in Glasgow attended by Conor McGregor. Two men were arrested and charged; three others received recorded warnings.
Officers injured in Congress Road disorder after OVO Hydro fight night
Three police officers were assaulted in Glasgow late on Saturday night following a Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship event at the OVO Hydro, irishmirror.ie reports. Two of the injured officers required medical treatment after violence broke out in the Congress Road area at around 11.10pm.
Two men, aged 32 and 27, were arrested and charged with offences including assault, obstructing police and threatening and abusive behaviour. They are to be reported to the Procurator Fiscal. A further three men were arrested and issued with recorded police warnings for threatening and abusive behaviour and breach of the peace.
Video footage circulated online shows large groups of men exchanging punches on Congress Road, with significant numbers of police vehicles converging on the scene. Dozens of officers were filmed disembarking from vans in an effort to restore order, and a police cordon was established outside the nearby Hilton Garden Inn to disperse those involved.
Residents in the area reacted with alarm to the scale of the response. One person posted online: "What on earth is happening in Glasgow? Absolute chaos." An eyewitness wrote on X: "Major incident in Glasgow now. Police everywhere. 100s of men fighting each other."
The disorder followed the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship event held at the OVO Hydro earlier that evening. The main bout featured ex-Rangers ultra Sean Weir and Leigh Cohoon, from Manchester, who was knocked out in the first round. The event was attended by former mixed martial artist and boxer Conor McGregor. Irish fighter Conor Cooke had been scheduled as one of the headliners but withdrew at short notice, citing safety concerns over travelling fans.
Chief Inspector Paul Daley condemned the violence directed at officers. "Several officers were assaulted whilst carrying out their duties during disorder following an event at the Hydro in Glasgow on Saturday night," he said. "Violence against officers is disgraceful and will not be tolerated. Being assaulted is not part of the job and it's extremely fortunate they were not seriously injured."
Daley said enquiries into the disturbance are ongoing and appealed for anyone with information to contact police on 101, quoting incident 2029 of 7 November. Police said they continue to work with partners and event organisers to maintain public safety at large-scale events.
Source: Google News IE — Crime (en)