- The Premier League banned flags of Israel and Palestine from matches this weekend
- Several Palestinian flags were held aloft at Anfield during the Merseyside derby
- Listen to the latest episode of the Mail Sport podcast ‘It all begins!’
Several Palestinian flags have been spotted at Anfield for the Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton, despite the Premier League banning them and Israeli flags amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The Premier League and EFL confirmed on Thursday that flags were banned for matches this weekend as they wanted to prevent possible incidents in stadiums.
However, Palestinian flags were still held aloft by fans at Anfield ahead of kick-off on Saturday afternoon.
Tensions have risen in the Middle East in recent weeks following Hamas’ attacks on Israel on October 7.
In the wake of the attacks, the FA opted not to light the Wembley arch in the colors of the Israeli flag during England’s matches against Australia – a decision that attracted criticism.
Several Palestinian flags were held aloft by supporters at Anfield during the Merseyside derby
Before kick-off, a minute’s silence was held to pay respect to the victims on both sides of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
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The Wembley Arch was previously lit in support of the LGBTQ+ community and Ukraine following last year’s Russian invasion.
Instead, they held a minute’s silence ahead of England’s friendly with Australia, with players wearing black armbands to commemorate the victims on both sides of the conflict.
Flags of Israel and Palestine were also banned for the games at Wembley, although an Israeli flag was held aloft by a supporter during the match in Australia.
Meanwhile, Tottenham have reiterated the Premier League’s message on flags in an email to fans ahead of their home match against Fulham on Monday evening.
Their statement to fans read: ‘The club has always believed that a football match is first and foremost a time to show loyalty to a football team.
“A football match is not an appropriate arena to display flags of any political or religious belief, or anything that could be considered inflammatory. These can also be national flags in times of political conflict, campaigns or issues.
“We fully appreciate the sensitivities involved and thank you for your cooperation in this matter. We kindly ask supporters not to put our stewards in an awkward position when attending matches.”