History Of All Cops Are Bastards Slogan In The World Of Football

The graffiti on the slogan All Cops Are Bastards, which emerged in the 1980s, started with a song by the British punk band, 4-Skins. (Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - Rivalry between groups of hard-line supporters often colors the dynamics of world football. This presence carries two narratives: advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is in the form of an injection of funds and enthusiasm. The disadvantage is that they perpetuate blind fanaticism.

A riot ensued. That's where the police intervened. Instead of being able to solve the problem, the presence of the police often exacerbates the problem. Police violence against supporters is proof of that. Angry supporters also voiced: All Cops Are Bastards (A.C.A.B).

It's no secret that blind fanaticism in the world of football is dangerous. In fact, it can invite death. Everything will be done for the sake of the favorite club. Fanaticism is not only shared by individuals, but also by groups of supporters. Heysel tragedy, for example. The tragedy began with Liverpool (England) meeting Juventus (Italy) in the European Champions Cup final on May 29, 1985.

Heysel Stadium, Belgium was asked to be a place to compete. Each group of supporters from the two teams did not waste the opportunity to watch it live at the Heysel Stadium. Hot tension accompanies the two groups of supporters. The bottle-throwing action was the opening menu. Then, the fans were furious. Fights are inevitable.

On the field, the Juventus and Liverpool supporters met. The police who acted as security officers tried to calm the anger of the fans. They are desperate. Instead of calming, the police actually appear violent. Many of the Liverpool and Juventus fans were brutally beaten by the police. Tear gas, police gunfire, and beatings were the most visible.

Tragedy at Heysel Stadium, Brussels, Belgium in the European Champions League final between Liverpool and Juventus on May 29, 1985. (euronews.com)

As a result, the fight took the lives of 39 people died and 600 were injured. The same narrative also appears in Argentina. At that time River Plate hosted Belgrano ended in a 1-1 draw, having previously lost 0-2. River Plate fans could not contain the sadness of their favorite club being relegated to Division B in the 2010-2011 season.

The riot broke out. The group of supporters from River Plate had to face the riot police. The police beat the fans indiscriminately. Which, the incident caused a loss of life. One supporter was killed, and 55 supporters and 35 police officers were seriously injured.

“The use of water cannons, rubber bullets, and tear gas failed to quell the tantrums of the fans inside the El-Monumental Stadium - River's home. Instead, the point of clash that started just around the stadium extended to all corners of the Nunez and Belgrano districts. The roar of ambulances and police cars alternately sounded everywhere. Black smoke rose high in several business and shopping centers as trash cans, vehicles and shops were burned and looted by fans.

“The neighing of the police on horseback and the sound of helicopters in the sky above Buenos Aires looking for rioters, made the northern area of ​​the city, which is known as an elite place, become as if it were a war place,” says Aqwam F. Hanifan in the book Brazillian Football and Their Enemies (2014).

Pioneered by British Punk Band

Police violence in football is nothing new. The incidents in Belgium and Argentina are proof that the security forces, who should be the saviors, have turned into gods of death. The group of supporters in the world also considers their main arch enemy is the police.

The hatred of the supporters for the police is manifested in one narrative. A narrative that often represents the hatred of the general public towards the police since decades ago. The message was All Cops Are Bastards (A.C.A.B). Meaning, all cops are crooks.

Every day riots occur and the police act as security, surely A.C.A.B's message will spread everywhere through various mediums. From posters to wall graffiti. Including the Heysel Tragedy and the River Plate fan riots.

For them, violence and the police are two words that cannot be separated. The violence caused many football supporters to hold grudges against the police. This is because the enemies of the supporters' groups are not only other groups of supporters. The eternal enemy of fans, it is said, is the police. And A.C.A.B's slogan represents their hatred of the police.

British punk band The 4-Skins, who popularized the slogan A.C.A.B or All Cops Are Bastards in the mid-1980s. (Wikimedia Commons)

“All Cops Are Bastards slogan then began to boom after in the mid-1980s, British punk band, The 4-Skins, made a song with the same title. Until now, there has been no official research related to the early history of the emergence of the slogan A.C.A.B. Even so, in the context of the current political situation, the slogan of A.C.A.B is no longer only owned by left-leaning ultras (fanatic supporters). The right-wing supporters also echoed the spirit of All Cops Are Bastards."

“Even religiously based supporter groups – such as Super Jews, the Ajax Amsterdam ultra group – have also voiced the spirit of A.C.A.B. On January 7, 2011, three Ajax supporters were fined for wearing t-shirts bearing the number 1312, which is another code for A.C.A.B. In Italy, the meaning of A.C.A.B has even become a separate code of ethics known as the Ultras Codex. One of the functions of the code of ethics is to regulate the battle between ultras so that it can take place more fairly and in a cultured manner," explained Edward S. Kennedy in the book Sepak Bola Seribu Tafsir (2014).