Ahead of their Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid, fans from Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) Boulogne Kop made a powerful statement, unveiling a massive “Free Palestine” banner at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday.
Just over a week before France is set to face Israel in a Nations League matchup, the PSG supporters displayed a second banner during the match, asking, “Does a child’s life in Gaza mean less than another?”
One of the messages read, “War on the pitch, but peace in the world.” The display also included an image of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Lebanese flag, highlighting escalating tensions as Israel launched new strikes on Lebanon, resulting in at least 40 casualties in eastern Lebanon.
PSG the club, however, issued a statement saying they were not informed about the plans to display the “Free Palestine”.
Paris Saint-Germain recalls that the Parc des Princes is and must remain a place of communion around a common passion for soccer and firmly opposes any message of a political nature in its stadium,” the club emphasized.
This is not the first instance of fan activism in European football or from across the globe. Last year, Celtic received a €17,500 fine after fans waved Palestinian flags during a Champions League fixture.
As France prepares to host Israel at Stade de France next Thursday, the 80,000-seat stadium is expected to be open to fans, with Paris police confirming that attendance will go ahead as planned.
In contrast, Belgium moved their recent Nations League home game against Israel to Debrecen, Hungary, after concluding that organizing the match domestically was not feasible due to security concerns.
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