"Demented, disturbing and disgusting"— Russell Brand reacts as car ploughs into crowd during Liverpool FC's bus parade, injuring 50

Actor, comedian, and podcaster Russell Brand reacted to a car ploughing into the crowd during Liverpool FC's bus parade, leaving 50 pedestrians injured. He discussed the same in the latest episode of his podcast Stay Free With Russell Brand, which aired on Rumble on May 27, 2025.

BBC reported that a car rammed into a group of pedestrians celebrating Liverpool's Premier League title victory at Water Street on Monday evening, May 26. According to Merseyside Police, a 52-year-old white British man, who is believed to have driven the car, was arrested on the scene.

Reacting to the incident, Russell Brand commented that Liverpool F.C. seems "unusually beset with tragedy," as it has been struck with past tragedies like the Hillsborough disaster, which occurred on April 15, 1989. According to the Liverpool F.C. official website, 97 Liverpool supporters lost their lives in the 1989 crowd crush during an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

Russell Brand further noted the crowd's reaction as the car rammed into them. He said:

"Look at this extraordinary footage, notice your instinctual sense of dread and terror and awe, and notice how the mood changes from hysteria to violence. Note how crowds behave, note how we respond when under threat. I mean that is demented, disturbing, and disgusting."

The podcaster highlighted that the priority should be the people affected. He also urged viewers to think about the "broader and deeper social dynamics of the United Kingdom," claiming that the country needs "radical change."

"What's going on in that country? What's going on with the way that it is governed, the way that it's controlled, and what is this feeling of darkness that's oozing up from the land itself?"

He then expressed solidarity with the injured Liverpool fans and questioned:

"Why these kind of things keep happening in the United Kingdom right now? What is this feeling of despair and despondency? Where is it coming from?"

---

More about Liverpool FC's bus parade incident

As reported by The Guardian on May 26, the incident occurred during an open-top bus parade to celebrate he club's 20th top-flight league, leaving 50 people injured, including 4 children. The same day, the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust claimed that 27 people were rushed to the hospital, including one child and one adult who "sustained serious injuries."

According to CNN, the Chief Fire Officer of Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service shared that three children and one adult were removed from underneath the car, and 20 people were treated at the scene near Water Street.

The police confirmed that this incident is not being treated as a terror attack:

"We believe this to be an isolated incident, and we are not currently looking for anyone else in relation to it. The incident is not being treated as terrorism."

The Guardian also reported witness reactions, including that of Les Winsper, who was present at the scene. Winsper said the incident lasted for 20-30 seconds.

"People started banging on the [car] windows. Then they smashed the windows, and he’s panicked and put his foot down. He then hit someone, and that person has gone in the air, and he’s ploughed through the rest of them. I’ve never seen anything like it," the witness shared.

Another witness, Harry Rashid, described the incident as "horrendous."

"This gray people carrier just pulled up from the right and just rammed into all the people at the side of us. It was extremely fast. Initially, we just heard the pop, pop, pop of people just being knocked off the bonnet of a car."

---

Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, expressed his support to the injured and their families via an X post on May 27. He also acknowledged the emergency services for their quick response to the incident.