Police in Uganda have arrested Arsenal fans for celebrating the club’s 3-2 win over Manchester United.
League leaders Arsenal scored a late winner on Sunday to beat United the English Premier League.
In the Ugandan city of Jinja, fans wearing the club’s red jersey and carrying a symbolic trophy bought from a local store stormed a street on Monday morning to celebrate the win.
According to the BBC, the fans were travelling in a convoy of five vehicles when they were intercepted by police.
Police arrested at least eight fans saying they didn’t have a permit to hold the procession which is a public order offence.
“What would happen if an altercation with rival fans broke out? They did not inform police to provide security for their procession,” James Mubi, the regional police boss told the BBC.
Mubi, a self-declared Arsenal fan, also questioned why the fans were celebrating when only half of the matches in the league had been played.
However, one fan wondered why police arrested them.
“I don’t know what we have done but we were simply celebrating our victory over rivals Manchester United,” the Arsenal fan identified as Baker Kasule was quoted as saying by the local Daily Monitor news site.
The BBC reported that Rights groups in Uganda say the Public Order Management Act has given police discretionary powers that.
There are also suggestions that the
the arrest was linked to the frequent arrest of members of an opposition party who also wear red.
In Uganda just like in Malawi, Arsenal enjoy huge support and people fill bars and viewing halls to watch them play.
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