Stewards intervene to stop Israel, France football fans clash at Paris match

The National Times - Stewards intervene to stop Israel, France football fans clash at Paris match

Stewards intervene to stop Israel, France football fans clash at Paris match / Photo: © AFP

Stewards had to intervene at the Nations League match between France and Israel on Thursday to stop fans of both nations from clashing in the stands, an AFP reporter saw.

Change text size:

Videos taken by spectators and posted on the X social media network show fans, some with Israeli flags, running along the rows of seats at the Stade de France while other fans whistled and booed.

Stewards wearing orange bibs moved between the two groups to separate them.

Paris police told AFP it could not comment until it had received more information.

The match is taking place under heavy security after fans from the Maccabi Tel Aviv club were attacked in Amsterdam last week following a Europa League match against Ajax.

The violence in Amsterdam flared after Maccabi fans set fire to a Palestinian flag the night before and vandalised a taxi, authorities said.

Amsterdam's mayor Femke Halsema said the incidents were a "poisonous cocktail of anti-Semitism and hooliganism".

Around 4,000 police were on patrol outside and inside the stadium in Paris.

The attendance was expected to be as low as 13,000 in a stadium with an 80,000 capacity.

The incidents in the Netherlands took place with anti-Israeli sentiment and reported anti-Semitic acts across the world soaring as Israel wages wars against Iran-backed Islamist militants in Lebanon and Gaza.

E.Cox--TNT

Senators Push for Sports Betting Ad Ban as Bill S-211 Advances

Legislation seeking to restrict sports betting advertising is advancing through Canada’s Parliament, driven by concerns over the impact of marketing on young people. Bill S-211, which calls for a national regulatory framework, has passed the Senate and is awaiting final House of Commons votes amid debates over federal versus provincial jurisdiction.

Colombia's Foreign Minister Omar Bula Apologizes to US Democrats for Past Social Media Remarks

Colombian Foreign Minister Omar Bula has publicly apologized to members of the United States Democratic Party for offensive comments he previously made on social media. The diplomatic move aims to separate the current Colombian government’s foreign policy from Bula’s past political rhetoric, particularly following significant Democratic victories in the recent US midterm elections.

The National Times - Stewards intervene to stop Israel, France football fans clash at Paris match