The club's fan group Kop Parisi has refused to 'attend, sing, or wave our flags in the stands' in condemnation of Israel's war on Gaza
The New Arab Staff
03 January, 2025
Fans of Paris football club PSG previously held a banner in support of Palestine [Getty]
Fans of the Paris Basketball team have announced they will boycott the upcoming EuroLeague match against Maccabi Tel Aviv, scheduled for January 16.
The club's fan group Kop Parisi, known for its passionate support during home and away games, declared that this match would not be “business as usual.”
In a statement, a spokesperson said: “Given the current circumstances, we cannot ignore the ongoing situation in Palestine. This will not be an ordinary game. As a result, we will not attend, sing, or wave our flags in the stands. No one will represent our group during this match. There are things bigger than basketball.”
This move comes amid Israel's ongoing war on Gaza, which is killing dozens of people every day, and increasing solidarity with Palestine among sports fans in Europe.
Recently, supporters of Nanterre Basketball disrupted a EuroCup game against Israel's Hapoel Holon by storming the court while carrying Palestinian flags, prompting a temporary suspension of the match and a heavy security response.
Similarly, Paris Saint-Germain football fans faced investigations last month after they unveiled a giant 'Free Palestine' banner before the kickoff of their Champions League game against Atletico Madrid, eight days before France took on Israel in Paris in a Nations League game.
Kop Parisi’s boycott comes as the EuroLeague continues to face criticism for including Israeli teams despite widespread opposition.
Football competitions attended by fans of Israeli clubs and the national team have sparked tensions over the year, amid Israel's continued military onslaught in the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians since October 7 last year.
Israeli football fans have a track record of chanting anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab and Islamophobic slogans over the years during football matches, which have been often aimed at players of Arab and Palestinian origins.
In November, Maccabi Tel Aviv fans chanted anti-Arab and racist slogans while visiting the Dutch capital Amsterdam, sparking violence.
Riots started in Amsterdam as members of the city's Moroccan community confronted the football hooligans. Dutch authorities claimed sixty-two people were arrested in connection with the violence.
In December, an Amsterdam District Court imposed sentences of up to six months against five men who were involved in the violence.
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