THIS is the moment a police officer appears to repeatedly punch a Manchester United fan on the ground.
Around 200 protesting fans gathered outside the Lowry Hotel, Manchester, yesterday, where the United team were staying.
Footage shows a young man being dragged behind a police van by multiple officers, as cops shout at him to “stop resisting”.
One masked officer appears to punch the 28-year-old a number of times as he is restrained on the pavement, before pushing away people filming.
He yells at the person recording “get back now” and “do as I say”, before the individual says “I am doing as you say, no need to touch me”.
It came after the match between Manchester United and Liverpool was called off due to protests.
Demonstrators against the Glazer family, United’s owners, got onto the Old Trafford pitch and clashed with cops.
An eyewitness outside the hotel told Mirror Sport: “What kicked that incident off, I believe, was there was a lorry trying to get through and basically the protestors wouldn’t let the lorry come through.
“The driver got out and a couple of protestors starting climbing on the front of the lorry.”
“I’d had good relations with the police all day.
“They’d had no problem with me getting right up as close as I wanted to them, to their lines and walking through them. At that point [of the arrest] I was made to move away from what was going on.”
Police at both protests used batons to quell angry supporters, who want the Glazer family to sell up.
A line of riot police at the stadium – backed by horses – pushed the crowds back from the area where the players were meant to enter the ground.
An estimated 10,000 fans gathered en masse outside the Theatre of Dreams in a protest against the club’s American owners, with frustrations coming to a head after their failed plot to join the European Super League.
The demonstration had been planned days in advance, with boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer pleading for it to be peaceful.
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But tempers flared during the protests with supporters seen throwing punches at each other.
Fuming Red Devils fans even blocked their squad from leaving the Lowry Hotel ahead of their clash against their bitter rivals.
The players and staff eventually left the hotel at 7.15pm, with a police escort.
Two cops were left injured in the clashes – with one slashed across the face with a bottle.
A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: “We are aware of a video circulating online of officers making an arrest during a protest today (2 May) near The Lowry Hotel.
“The video depicts officers arresting a 28-year-old male on suspicion of a theft from a motor vehicle and a public order offence. He currently remains in custody for questioning.
“GMP’s Professional Standards Branch has been made aware of the video and will be examining the footage and all available evidence to understand the full circumstances surrounding the arrest.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
