AhlulBayt News Agency

source : Daily Mail
Thursday

24 July 2014

3:43:42 PM
626482

Pro-Palestinian Protesters Storm Football Match Between Israel's Maccabi Haifa & Lille + Pics

Israeli football team Maccabi Haifa's game against French side Lille had to be stopped after pro-Palestinian protesters stormed the pitch.

Israeli football team Maccabi Haifa's game against French side Lille had to be stopped after pro-Palestinian protesters stormed the pitch.

Supporters of reportedly Turkish origin ran onto the field in the Austrian stadium where the game was played and headed for the Maccabi players.

Maccabi Haifa denounced the attack, saying the club 'believes in co-existence, tolerance and is against violence'

A club statement given to the Jerusalem Post added: 'This didn't happen because of sport or football, it happened because we are a team which represents Israel.'

The incident comes amid fears of growing anti-Semitism in Europe at the time when Israeli forces are killing innocent people in Gaza.

During the football match fight yesterday, banners calling for the liberation of Palestine were displayed by certain sections of the crowd.

Lille said on its Twitter feed that the referee called a halt to the game after a group of youths, waving Palestinian flags and placards, ran onto the pitch with just three minutes of the game left.

After a series of brief scuffles, the protestors were led away by security officers with the French side 2-0 ahead at the time.

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