Pro-Palestine protesters clash with police in Italy before Israel game

Police clash with pro-Palestinian protesters in Italy Pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with police in Udine, in northern Italy, this Tuesday (14). The city hosts the match between Israel and Italy for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp Protesters took to the streets to ask FIFA to suspend Israel from all football competitions, alleging that the Israeli team supports occupation policies in the Palestinian territories. Around 5,000 people participated in the event, according to police. Protesters carried an 18-meter Palestinian flag and a red banner with the rally’s slogan: “Show Israel the red card.” A metal statue symbolizing justice held a scale in one hand and a red card in the other. At the end of the march, some protesters threw fireworks and crowd control barriers at police, who responded with water cannons and tear gas. The Ansa news agency reported that a journalist was injured during the clashes and was taken to hospital. Protesters protest against Israel in Udine, Italy, on October 14, 2025 REUTERS/Yara Nardi Organizers decided to maintain the protest even after Israel and the terrorist group Hamas signed a ceasefire agreement, which provides for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip. The military continues to control more than 50% of Palestinian territory. Andrea Ciampi, who traveled from Venice to participate in the demonstration, said he was a big football fan, but that he considered it more important to protest in the streets than to go to the stadium this time. “The ceasefire is good because it stops the massacres. But what are the conditions? Where is the voice of the Palestinian people in this agreement?”, he asked in an interview with Reuters. “There was a ceasefire, but not peace. As I wrote on my poster, there can be no peace without justice,” said Valentina Bianchi, another protester. Faced with the possibility of demonstrations, local authorities adopted several restrictions, such as blocking streets and installing concrete barriers around the stadium to create safety zones. Some traders chose to keep their stores closed all day. The Italian Football Federation said just over 9,000 tickets were sold for the match against Israel, below the reduced capacity of 16,000. ▶️ The war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, 2023, when the group launched an attack that killed more than 1,200 people and kidnapped another 251. In two years of conflict, more than 67,000 Palestinians died in Gaza, according to data from authorities linked to Hamas. MORE

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