Women's Euro 2025 qualifier at Glasgow's Hampden Stadium resumed after 45 minutes, reports media
Merve Berker |01.06.2024 -
Before the Women's Euro 2025 qualifier between Scotland and Israel at Glasgow's Hampden stadium, a demonstrator chained himself to the goalposts to protest Israel's military operation in Gaza, according to local media.
The atmosphere surrounding the Scotland-Israel match, which was held behind closed doors due to security concerns, was disrupted when a 19-year-old man chained himself to the goalposts and protested Israel's continued military attacks in Gaza, STV News reported on Friday.
When play resumed, the Israeli team's gesture of holding up T-shirts advocating for the release of hostages held by Hamas added another layer of complexity to the match.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people gathered outside the stadium, carrying Palestinian flags and symbolic coffins, reflecting a larger public outcry against the ongoing strife.
Despite the upheaval, the game eventually proceeded 45 minutes later, but not without echoes of dissent ringing through the air from both demonstrators and counter-protesters.
“I think it is cowardly that they have kept us out of our own national stadium,” the broadcaster quoted demonstrators as saying.
“They have silenced us, as fans and as protesters,” they decried.
The STV News quoted protestors calling on: “We should be in there making a noise in front of the television, instead they are keeping us outside and silent.”
“The decision to play the game in an empty stadium was reached following updated intelligence and ‘extensive security consultations’ with key parties involved,” the broadcaster said, citing a statement issued by the Scottish Football Association (SFA).
“Due to updated intelligence and following extensive security consultations with all key parties, the Scottish FA regrets to confirm that the forthcoming qualifier between Scotland and Israel at Hampden Park on May 31 will now be played behind closed doors,” the SFA stressed.
“The stadium operations team were alerted to the potential for planned disruptions to the match and as a consequence we have no option but to play the match without supporters in attendance.
“We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the decision but the safety of supporters, players, team staff and officials is of paramount importance,” it added.
Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza since an attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.
More than 36,200 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, the vast majority being women and children, and nearly 81,800 others injured, according to local health authorities.
Nearly eight months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in its latest ruling ordered it to immediately halt its operation in Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.
Pro-Palestinian protesters enter Brooklyn Museum, unfurl banner as police make arrests
Police detain a pro-Palestinian demonstrator in front of the Brooklyn Museum during on Friday. AP
Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters marched to the Brooklyn Museum on Friday afternoon, set up tents in the lobby and unfurled a "Free Palestine” banner from the building's roof before police moved in to make arrests.
New York City police officers tackled and punched some protesters during scuffles that broke out in the crowd outside the museum while some demonstrators hurled plastic bottles at officers and shouted insults. Other protesters held banners, waved Palestinian flags and chanted boisterously on the steps of the grand, Beaux Arts museum, which is the city’s second largest.
The rally started Friday afternoon across the street from the Barclays Center, home of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets. Marchers banging drums and chanting then made their way to the museum about a mile away.
Organizers, including the group Within Our Lifetime, called on supporters to "flood” and "de-occupy” the museum, saying they wanted to take over the building until officials " disclose and divest ” from any investments linked to Israel's actions in Gaza.
Videos posted on social media showed guards at the museum trying to secure its doors against the surging crowd, and demonstrators finding other ways inside.
A Pro-Palestinian protestor is detained by New York Police Officers in front of the Brooklyn Museum. Reuters
Spokespersons for the museum didn’t respond to emails and phone messages seeking comment late Friday, but an NYPD spokesperson confirmed protesters had been taken into custody. The department didn't immediately have an estimate for how many have been arrested or what charges they might face.
New York City has seen hundreds of street demonstrations since the conflict between Israel and Hamas began in October.
The Brooklyn Museum sits at the edge of Crown Heights, which is home to one of the city's largest communities of Orthodox Jews.
Associated Press
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