The sheer passion of Football fans is well documented, just take a look at the energy they bring to the game’s glorious colosseums. The affection a supporter possesses for their club of choice is truly something special, although the passion can be a bit too extreme at times.
A case in point is this bizarre tale coming to us from the Ugandan city of Jinja, involving a group of Football Hooligans and the local police.
It all unfolded like a chain of events, kickstarted by Arsenal‘s thrilling victory against Manchester United at the Emirates.
The Gunners strengthened their title credentials by beating the resurgent Red Devils 3-2, they did so in dramatic fashion as well.
With the score locked at 2-2, the ball fell into the path of Eddie Nketiah during the 90th minute, who made no mistake and secured all 3 points for Arsenal.
Rapturous celebrations followed in the Emirates, and probably in the households of Gooners worldwide.
Starved for a league title for the past 19 years, Arsenal fans are enjoying every single moment of their current run, however, some Gooners have been a bit overzealous with their merriment.
In particular, a band of 8 Arsenal fans took to the streets of Jinja to celebrate the win in an emphatic fashion.
8 Arsenal fans have been arrested for celebrating their victory against Manchester United in Uganda.
The Police said the fans went on a victory parade without seeking permission. pic.twitter.com/u1DLfIxI50
Armed with flags and a symbolic trophy, they were seated in a convoy featuring 5 vehicles and several motorcycles, and they chanted proudly ‘Arsenal!’ as the vehicles slowly paraded on the roads.
The unnecessary procession ended up being an incursion on the morning commute, and the regional police had to step in and take charge.
Local authorities ended up arresting the 8 Gooners involved in the offence of organizing a victory parade without permission.
The tale didn’t just end here, as a shocking revelation followed after their arrest.
It was delivered by a police spokesperson in his statement to the local media.
He started off by saying that he’s an Arsenal fan himself before adding ‘after bringing them (arrested fans) at police (station), they even have (knew) no basics about Arsenal. Because when we asked about the unbeaten run (Invincibles season), they said it was in 2007’.
The lack of basic Arsenal knowledge led to suspicions of foul play by the police, as they wondered whether the parade was really about Arsenal’s win.
Since the arrest, the matter has turned into a larger picture human rights issue, as right-wing Ugandan groups have contested the police’s decision, and accused them of stifling civilian liberties.
While we lack the required context to arrive at such a conclusion, arresting fans for celebrating a football club does seem a bit extreme.
However, in doing so, the police accidentally exposed a group of glory hunters and bandwagoners, so perhaps, there’s a silver lining after all.
