Pro-Palestinian Arab activists held a protest on Monday at the French soccer federation headquarters, urging officials to cancel an upcoming Nations League match between France and Israel scheduled for later this month, The Associated Press reported.
Video clips shared on social media and French news outlets showed protesters gathered in the federation’s Paris office, some lying on the floor and others holding placards with political slogans and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) flags. Demonstrators also chanted, “No, no, no to the France-Israel game at the Stade de France.”
The French soccer federation has not yet commented on the protest, reported AP. Police peacefully removed the protesters from the building, the report stated.
Despite security concerns, French authorities confirmed last month that the Nov. 14 match at the Stade de France would proceed with spectators allowed. This decision follows a recent Nations League match where Israel played Italy in a secure environment without incident.
The upcoming game takes place amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, with ongoing violence in Gaza and conflict spreading to Lebanon.
Israel’s recent match against Italy marked the first time its national team played outside Hungary this year. Since the Israel-Hamas conflict escalated last October, Israel’s national team has been restricted to games in neutral locations like Hungary.