By Oyero Abiodun Yakub
Supporters of Arsenal FC have been arrested in Jinja, a city in Uganda, for celebrating the club’s win against Manchester United in the English league.
According to a report by BBC, about 8 of them wore the club’s red jersey and carried a symbolic trophy, holding a procession without permit. The procession was considered a public order offense.
The fans were reported to be traveling in a convoy of five vehicles on Monday morning before they were intercepted by the police.
One of the fans, Baker Kasule, was quoted to have said, “I don’t know what we have done. We were simply celebrating our victory over rivals Manchester United.”
The regional police boss, James Mubi, claimed he hasn’t reviewed the charges against the football supporters, wondering why they were celebrating early when the league competition just got midway.
“What would happen if an altercation with rival fans broke out? They did not inform the police to provide security for their procession,” Mr. Mubi was quoted to have said.
Arsenal defeated the Manchester United team with a 3-2 score to continue their winning streak at the top of the Premier League table. A 90th-minute goal from Edward Nketiah sealed the 3-point win for the London side.
