Sat 27 June 2020:
English champion Liverpool has condemned the behavior of crowds of fans who gathered in the city to celebrate the club’s Premier League title win after a 30-year wait.
Merseyside Police issued a dispersal order for Liverpool city center on Friday night. This allowed police to disperse crowds who had gathered on the Pier Head, after part of the Liver Building caught fire amid the wild celebrations despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Videos circulating on social media showed a firework hitting the distinctive building, which is partly owned by Everton majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri.
A joint statement on behalf of the club, Liverpool City Council and Merseyside Police was issued on Saturday.
“Throughout the last week, Liverpool Football Club, Merseyside Police, Liverpool City Council and Spirit of Shankly have worked together to consistently remind people that the region is still disproportionately affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and ask people to celebrate LFC’s Premier League title win safely,” read a statement on Liverpool’s website.
The celebrations outside Anfield to celebrate Liverpool’s title win went on long through the night pic.twitter.com/bRS8PlaF4E
— Liverpool FC News (@LivEchoLFC) June 26, 2020
“Several thousand people turned up at the Pier Head on Friday June 26 and some chose to ignore the social distancing guidance and risk public safety.
“Our city is still in a public health crisis and this behaviour is wholly unacceptable.
“The potential danger of a second peak of Covid-19 still exists and we need to work together to make sure we don’t undo everything that has been achieved as a region during lockdown.
“When it is safe to do so, we will all work together to arrange a victory parade when everyone can come together to celebrate. Until that time, the safety of our city and our people continues to be our number one priority.”
Four fire engines were sent to the Liver Building, where they extinguished a blaze on a balcony, a Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said. The extent of the damage was not known.
The Liverpool Echo carried video that appeared to show glass bottles being thrown at police.
On Saturday the area was left littered with discarded bottles and rubbish and council street cleaners were on site.
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