France vs. Israel

Fights, smoke bombs: riots in the stadium

Riots at the Stade de France in Paris

(Bild: AP)

There were riots at the Stade de France during the France vs. Israel soccer match in Paris on Thursday evening. French and Israeli supporters attacked each other. Spectators fled from the stands and the police intervened. Smoke bombs had previously been set off during the Israeli anthem. The security forces were able to restore order relatively quickly. They were also able to keep the fans in check after the match.

Despite the highest security level with strict controls, fan hooligans managed to bring smoke bombs into the stadium during the high-risk match. They set them off when the Israeli national anthem was played.

600 police officers guarded the game
A mass brawl broke out in the North Curve during the first half of the match. Fans from both camps clashed. The security forces had their hands full trying to separate the 50 or so rioters. The incident lasted around two minutes. 6,000 police officers were deployed in and around the stadium.

Whistles against Israel's team
The Stade de France was only about a third full, with 20,000 spectators (including around 150 from Israel). Whistles were repeatedly blown against the Israeli team from the stands.

Riots at the Stade de France in Paris

(Bild: AP)

(Bild: AP)

(Bild: AP)

(Bild: AFP or licensors)

A French spectator posed with a Palestinian flag (despite an official ban). 

Police prevented demonstration march to the stadium 
Before kick-off, an anti-Israel demonstration took place a few kilometers from the stadium under the slogan "You don't play with genocide". Among the almost 350 participants were a number of people wearing masks. They wanted to march towards the stadium, but were prevented from doing so by the police. The officers were equipped with helmets, shields and water cannons. The mounted police also intervened.

The riot police were reinforced by the RAID anti-terrorist unit at the stadium. The elite police officers drove up in armored vehicles.

There had been warnings in advance of attacks on the Israeli national team. The footballers were therefore taken to the French national stadium in the St. Denis district of Paris under police protection.

Hateful images against Netanyahu
The demonstrators likened Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler. Many French people were also among the participants. The ban on Palestinian flags was ignored.

For fear of riots, all stores and restaurants around the stadium were closed on the day of the match.

Interior Minister: "France will not submit"
 France's Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau told TF1 before the match that there were no specific threats, but "there is no such thing as zero risk. There is no question that we run the risk of a repeat of the dramatic events, the manhunt that we saw in Amsterdam".

Nevertheless, there was no question of canceling the match or moving it to another venue: "France will not submit, and the France v Israel match will take place where it is supposed to."

"We are vigilant"
The umbrella organization of Jewish organizations in France expressed concern in the run-up to the match. "We are vigilant because we know that the match is taking place in a tense security situation," Yonathan Arfi from the umbrella organization CRIF told RTL on Thursday. He nevertheless called on people to watch the match: "It has become a symbol of the fight against anti-Semitism," Arfi emphasized.

It remained calm after the game
After the two teams drew 0-0, the situation near the stadium was calm, according to broadcaster BFMTV and the newspaper "Le Parisen". Israeli fans, mainly French Jews, left the stadium afterwards in specially hired buses, wrote "Le Parisien". The police escorted them. "That went very well. We had more resources than at the Olympics," the paper quoted a plainclothes police officer as saying.

According to police reports, up to 30 people were injured in violent riots against Israeli fans in Amsterdam a week ago. Five Israelis were treated in hospital. According to the police, the attackers had responded to an online call for attacks on Jews.