14/11/24

Protesters show off bats ahead of feared unrest before France vs Israel match in Paris

Paris is on edge ahead of France’s Nations League clash with Israel tonight after protests in solidarity with Palestine and Lebanon engulfed parts of the French capital in the last 24 hours.

A ring of steel is being erected around State de France in the northern suburb of Saint-Denis where the UEFA Nations League match will unfold in front of a much-depleted crowd as many are choosing to boycott it.

At least 4,000 police officers and 1,600 stadium staff will be deployed to the area as part of a range of security measures.

President Emmanuel Macron is one of the VIPs attending the event, despite fears that it will bring the same level of violence as in Amsterdam last week, when fans of the Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv clashed with pro-Palestinian supporters.

What is the security operation ahead of France vs Israel match

Special security measures have been implemented, echoing the Olympic Games this summer when a ring of steel had been erected in the centre of Paris.

Squadrons of police officers have been unleashed in Saint Denis, while businesses in the area have been ordered to close earlier, at 3.45pm.

At the same time, a double security perimeter will be set up, allowing officers to carry out searches.

Plainclothes police will patrol the stadium and officials will leave the stands close to the field empty. A special police team, RAID, will also guard the Israeli players.

Inside Stade de France, anti-intrusion grilles will be raised around the pitch, while Palestinian flags have been banned during the event.

It appears that the tight security – and the calls to boycott the match – have clearly impacted attendance, with only around 13,000 spectators expected to attend in a venue that holds up to 80,000.

What is the risk of violence during the event

As tensions in Paris are mounting in anticipation of tonight’s game, France’s anti-hooliganism division classified it as ‘very high risk’.

Ahead of the game, Betar, an international Zionist movement, has called for Jews to ‘come to Paris’ and ‘fight back’.

The official X account of the organisation shared a picture of masked men dressed in black and armed with wooden baseball bats, writing that they ‘will be at the game’.

Another picture circulated by Betar shows dozens of its members gathering in the capital, with the caption: ‘Come to Paris friends! [Emoji of a pager] for all jihadis’.

Multiple groups across France, including Jewish organisations opposed to racism and antisemitism, and some left-wing politicians have called for the cancellation of the football game.

Another pro-Palestine protest is scheduled for 6pm today outside the town hall in Saint Denis – before the kick-off.

Why are people in Paris protesting the game

Metro spoke with Imen, a pro-Palestinian activist and a coordinator of BDS Paris, which campaigns for the boycott of Israeli products, in addition to the country’s sports and culture.

BDS Paris is currently circulating a petition against ‘sportwashing of crimes against humanity.’

It denounces the hosting in France of Israel’s national football team and demands the cancellation of the match.

‘We demand the suspension of the Israeli team from international competitions, in the same way as the Russian and Belarusian teams,’ it says.

Citing the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Imen accused Israel of ‘genocide in Gaza,’ adding that it is ‘an absolute scandal’ that France has agreed to host the game.

Protests also erupted in Paris on Wednesday against a gala organised by far-right figures in support of Israel.

The event, intended to raise funds for the Israeli military, included Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich among its invited guests. Just hours before, his office confirmed he was not going to attend.

Smotrich, a vocal advocate of Israeli settlements, had been expected to attend Wednesday’s gala, dubbed ‘Israel is Forever,’ which was planned by an association of the same name.

How the clashes kicked off in Amsterdam

Tensions in the Dutch capital began rising as some 3,000 fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv arrived on Thursday last week for the UEFA Europa League match against Ajax.

The day before the game, on Wednesday, supporters set fire to a Palestinian flag in the middle of Dam Square, later pulling more down from people’s homes, and vandalising a taxi.

A video verified by Reuters shows them setting off flares and chanting, ‘Ole, ole, let the [Israeli army] win, and F*** the Arabs’.

Some Dutch media have reported that social media videos show the beating of a Muslim taxi driver and youths yelling antisemitic slurs at a Maccabi supporter who was pushed into a canal.

Following the match, groups on scooters targeted the Maccabi supporters as they made their way to the centre of Amsterdam, beating them.

Police said they collected around 200 Maccabi fans on Dam Square to guard them and escort them back to their hotels, but many others were assaulted elsewhere in Amsterdam.

Among dozens of Israeli supporters who were chased and assaulted, five suffered injuries needing hospital treatment, police said. So far, 63 people have been arrested.