Hooligan Arrests Follow Extensive Investigation into Violence Against Police After Football Match

Two individuals from the hooligan milieu were arrested and charged with assaulting the police on Friday.

The arrests took place after a comprehensive investigation into the disturbances following the football match between F.C. København and Brøndby IF on November 12th last year. Multiple altercations occurred, with officers getting injured, and they had to use batons against groups of football supporters. One of the arrested individuals is notably charged with kicking an officer in the face.

On Friday morning, the police carried out a coordinated arrest operation at several addresses in Copenhagen. Two men, aged 23 and 27, were arrested and charged with multiple instances of violence against various officers and attacking the police with projectiles.

“We assess that the two arrested individuals have prominent roles in the Copenhagen hooligan milieu, and we charge them with subjecting several officers to blows and kicks and throwing various objects at the police,” says Vice Police Inspector Jesper Beuschel, head of the Copenhagen Police Department for community-oriented crime.

On the day of the match, a so-called enhanced penalty zone was established in the Parken area where the disturbances occurred. This zone means that the penalty for offenses like violence and severe disruptions to public order can double.

Police have conducted a broad investigation into the events after the match, leading to Friday’s arrests. Jesper Beuschel does not rule out the possibility that more individuals will be charged as part of the ongoing investigative work.

“These are cases that we take very seriously, and I expect that in the coming time, we may charge more individuals for participating in the disturbances that occurred that day. Even though it has been several months since it happened, we continue the effort to identify those involved, so the perpetrators should not think they can breathe a sigh of relief,” says Jesper Beuschel.

The same occurred after a match between the two teams back in July 2020, where supporters subsequently engaged in mass brawls on Vesterbro. The investigation led to 13 individuals being charged in September of that year for violence and severe disruptions to public order, and an additional 62 were charged in December of the same year for severe disruptions to public order.