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Pro-Palestine campaigners 'set to stage protest during Israel men's first football match at the Paris Olympics' amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East

3 months ago 38
  • Israel men's football team will face Mali at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday
  • Pro-Palestine campaigners are reportedly planning a protest at the game 

By Sam Brookes

Published: 07:51 BST, 24 July 2024 | Updated: 07:57 BST, 24 July 2024

Pro-Palestine campaigners are reportedly planning to stage a protest when Israel men's football team face Mali at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday night.

The game is due to take place at the Parc des Princes and Susanne Shields from French activist group Europalestine has told The Guardian that a peaceful protest will be held from the stands against the 'genocide' in Gaza.

Posters have already been put up in Paris ahead of the Games saying 'No Olympics for Israel' amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.


However, Israeli athletes have been granted permission to compete, and their men's football team will be their first representatives at the Games.

The match is due to be attended by French interior minister Gerald Darmanin, and it is understood that there is no specific threat to the game.

Posters have been put up around Paris saying 'No Olympics for Israel'

Pro-Palestine campaigners are now reportedly planning to stage a protest when Israel men's football team (pictured) play on Wednesday night

Israel will be the only nation to have 24-hour protection during the Games, and they have sent their own security team over to Paris

Mail Sport revealed on Sunday that Israel have sent secret agents to guard their athletes in Paris amid a surge in threats of anti-Semitic violence across Europe.

International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach confirmed Israel have brought their own security team across to France, which is something they have done since the murder of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics in Munich.

'The Israeli athletes since 1972 they always have taken their own additional security measures, and so they did also this time and they feel comfortable with this situation,' Bach said.

Israel will also be the only nation with 24-hour security from French police units, and a 'search and intervention brigade' will be on hand at Wednesday night's match.

Israeli president Isaac Herzog is due to be in Paris for Friday's opening ceremony where there will be a commemorative ceremony to mark 52 years since the Munich Massacre.

Adidas received furious backlash last week after choosing pro-Palestinian model Bella Hadid to model a revamped line of trainers first worn at the 1972 Olympics where 11 Israelis were killed.

They subsequently dropped Hadid from their advertising campaign following the outcry. 

Athletes from Israel are due to be involved in the parade along the River Seine at the opening ceremony on Friday night.

Meanwhile, there will be eight Palestinian athletes competing in Paris, and they are due to arrive in the city on Wednesday morning. 

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