Violent scenes broke out in the stands this evening during Israel’s heavily secured match against France in Paris.
Mobile phone footage shows fans fleeing their seats at the Stade de France after an alleged fight took place in the first half.
Loud cheers can be heard as people run from the ugly scenes – and very few security guards are seen in the chaotic video.
It is unclear how the fight started or who was involved, but one man can be seen being restrained by fans as he attempts to attack another group of supporters.
Another man, wearing a hat, stands on one of the chairs and shouts aggressively at people nearby.
French officials imposed a heavy security presence this evening to prevent a repeat of last week’s violence when Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv played in Amsterdam.
Mobile phone footage shows fans fleeing their seats at the Stade de France after an alleged fight in the first half
It is unclear how the argument started and who was involved in the brawl
Loud cheers can be heard as people run away from the ugly scenes
One man, wearing a hat, stands on one of the chairs and shouts aggressively at people nearby
SAS-style special forces and around 6,500 other security officers are on duty as organizers struggle to sell tickets for the Nations League match, with fewer than 13,000 seats reserved.
This means that there will be one police officer for every two football fans tonight.
Before the match, Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez said that security during the match in Paris was therefore of great importance.
“There is a context, tensions that make that match a high-risk event for us,” he said.
Israeli security forces, including officers from the Mossad intelligence service, are also at the stadium this evening, French authorities confirmed.
Only French tricolors and Israeli Stars of David were allowed, while all other flags were banned from the ground.
French President Emmanuel Macron and his Prime Minister Michel Barnier attended the match despite calls for the match to be played in a neutral country.
The elite tactical unit RAID was deployed in response to the violent scenes that were seen in Amsterdam last week.
Fighting broke out related to the ongoing conflict in Palestine and Lebanon, with 52 Dutch and 10 Israelis arrested for public order offences.
Local gang members targeted visiting supporters in what authorities described as “anti-Semitic attacks.”
Racist chants were also heard from Tel Aviv fans, including threats to kill Arabs and references to the massacre of children in Gaza.
SAS-style special forces and around 6,500 other security officers are on duty at the Stade de France
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched outside the venue before the match
Organizers are struggling to sell tickets for the Nations League match, with fewer than 13,000 seats reserved
There is one police officer for every two football fans during Thursday night’s match (photo: a riot police officer stands outside the Stade de France)
RAID’s elite tactical unit has been deployed following the violence last week when Israel’s Maccabi played Tel Aviv in Amsterdam (photo)
Concerns were raised about tonight’s match after thousands of pro-Palestinians marched against a controversial pro-Israel gala in central Paris on Wednesday.
The ‘Israel is Forever’ gala was originally scheduled to be attended by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who currently lives in a settlement considered illegal under international law.
Mr. Smotrich eventually withdrew after threats that he would have an arrest warrant waiting for him in France.
The Israeli team arrived in Paris earlier this week and is staying and training in secret locations on the outskirts of Paris.
There was another pro-Palestinian demonstration outside the Front Popculaire metro station in Saint-Denis, a kilometer away from the stadium, which attracted a few hundred people and was peaceful.
Ahead of tonight’s match, France head coach Didier Deschamps said his players were aware of the situation, adding: ‘It is clear that none of us within the team can be insensitive to such a tough context.
‘It affects the number of supporters present tomorrow and everything that entails.’