"Our fans are passionate about Manchester United, and we completely acknowledge the right to free expression and peaceful protest..." [The Coup was listed as a Free Speech Event.]
The Premier League also issued a statement, which read: "Following the security breach..."
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The protests started with around 1,000 supporters outside the Lowry Hotel, where the United team were staying. Meanwhile, two police vans were positioned at the gates of Old Trafford used by the team coaches from early Sunday morning. [outmanned and unprepared]
While the protest had been planned and was largely peaceful, it descended into chaos as fans infiltrated the stadium.
Fans started gathering on the forecourt at Old Trafford at around noon BST/8 a.m. ET...The game was originally planned to kick off at 4.30 p.m. BST...An hour later, a large group broke the fencing around the stadium and moved the protest toward the Munich Tunnel underneath the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand.
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Greater Manchester Police also released a statement and confirmed that two officers had been injured and another required emergency hospital treatment after being attacked with a bottle.
"The behaviour displayed today by those at both Old Trafford and The Lowry Hotel was reckless and dangerous," chief constable Russ Jackson said
"We understand the passion many supporters have for their team and we fully respect the right for peaceful protest. Plans were in place to ensure this could happen safely, but it soon became clear that many present had no intention of doing so peacefully.
"The actions of those today required us to take officers from front line policing and call in support from neighbouring forces to prevent the disorder getting worse. At different points, bottles and barriers were thrown, officers assaulted and people scaled the stadium structure creating risk for themselves and officers."
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Supporters have never accepted the Glazers...["Supporters never accepted the election results."]
12:38 p.m.:
Game postponed to another date. 12:38 p.m. Eastern Colonies Time.
Man United vs. Liverpool delayed by anti-Glazer protests on pitch at Old Trafford
The Premier League clash between Manchester United and Liverpool has been delayed after United fans invaded the Old Trafford pitch in a demonstration against the team owners, the Glazer family, on Sunday.
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Supporters have never accepted the Glazers due to their leveraged takeover in 2005, which plunged United into debt (net debt stood at £301.7m in the last quarterly figures) and, as reported by The Guardian in October 2018, their ownership has led to more than £1 billion being drained out of the club in interest charges.
(ESPN)
Just awful. Embarrassing. How were the Bobbies not prepared for this? It’s like the Capitol Coup. The anti-Glazer protesters said they were going to do this, just like the Christian Racists did ahead of 1/6. They need to play this match, just as Congress needed, and did, hold the Electoral College certification vote. This needs to happen now.
Is that Cap Police? Oh no, they’re not holding the doors open for the rioters.
Manchester United protest LIVE updates as kick-off delayed after fans break into Old Trafford
(Manchester Evening News)
Surreal similarities to the 1/6 Coup in D.C.