Thousands of Paris police officers were deployed on Thursday, Nov. 14, ahead of a soccer game between France and Israel. This comes after last week’s violence in Amsterdam between locals and Israeli fans.
The match is expected to spark further protests following the Netherlands incident and anger over Israel’s military actions in Gaza and Lebanon.
The added security also follows multiple pro-Palestinian demonstrations on Wednesday in Paris, including one outside of a pro-Israel gala.
Police reportedly used tear gas against protesters as officers in riot gear pushed back demonstrators. Activists accuse Israel of war crimes as the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry reports more than 43,000 Palestinians have now been killed in the war. One activist declared, “We are not afraid of the police.”
At least one pro-Palestinian protest is expected to be held about 1.5 miles from the match on Thursday. The group leading the demonstration called Urgence Palestine is calling on the Israeli soccer team to be banned from competition over the war in Gaza.
Paris police say 4,000 officers will be working with 2,500 police officers around the event, and 1,500 officers in positions across the city.
Authorities also said only French and Israeli flags will be allowed inside the stadium.
French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to attend the match as a symbol of “fraternity and solidarity” in the wake of the violence in Amsterdam. Attendance is expected to be low with reportedly only around a quarter of the 80,000-seat stadium to be filled.
