A horde of ticketless fans were seen storming Wembley Stadium in London ahead of the Euro 2020 soccer championship between England and Italy.
Videos showed droves of people running up a staircase, while other footage showed unruly attendees breaking down barricades and clashing with officials.
We witnessed this and I stepped away just in time. If this is even crossing your mind, don’t. You don’t get far. Please don’t ruin it for everyone at Wembley. pic.twitter.com/CoNx4U4CHb
— Michelle Owen (@MichelleOwen7) July 11, 2021
The London Metropolitan Police Department acknowledged the incident and said it was attempting to disperse the crowd.
EUROPE WENT TO A SOCCER TOURNEY, AND PATRIOTISM BROKE OUT
“A large crowd of fans have gathered near to the fan zone in Trafalgar Square attempting to push in without tickets,” the law enforcement body wrote at approximately 2:45 p.m. “There are no more tickets or seats available in the fan zone. We’re engaging with this crowd and telling them to disperse.”
Some fans have attempted to storm into Wembley ahead of the Euro 2020 final🔽pic.twitter.com/XyYRRXBFHY
— Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) July 11, 2021
Stadium executives also released a statement indicating that a “small group” of people breached security and flooded into the venue without tickets. Wembley initially denied reports that the behavior was occurring.
“There was a breach of security and a small group of people got into the stadium,” a spokesperson said. “We are now working closely with stadium stewards and security to remove these people. Anyone inside the stadium without a ticket will be instantly ejected.”
Some reports have suggested “hundreds” breached the checkpoint as police on horseback were deployed to the scene to quell the unrest and restore barricades.
Other footage from within the stadium showed a large group brawling, while a man appeared to strike a teenager with a closed fist.
Unbelievable footage of violence in Wembley tonight. A literal child gets punched by a full grown man and an Asian man is kicked repeatedly in the head by several people. Disgusting behaviour. pic.twitter.com/NLtvjgF8Fe
— Kyle Glen (@KyleJGlen) July 11, 2021
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
It is unknown whether any arrests have been made.
The Euro 2020 event was postponed due to COVID-19. It resumed last month, though stadiums have largely been subjected to COVID-19 protocols and other measures. Wembley has a capacity of 90,000 fans, but it was set to host only 60,000 for Sunday’s event.
