Before the Women’s Euro 2025 qualifier between Scotland and Israel, a protester chained himself to the goalposts at Glasgow’s Hampden stadium. The man used a lock to secure himself to the posts as a means of protesting Israel’s military operation in Gaza. The match was delayed and did not begin until 45 minutes later than planned, as the man had to be cut free by the police.
The game is being played behind closed doors, and several hundred people, some carrying small coffins and Palestinian flags, had gathered outside the main stand before the game began. The demonstrator had been wearing a hi-vis vest, which led to some mistaking him for a steward.
When the two teams returned to the field, the Israeli team held up a shirt bearing the message “Bring Them Home” as a reference to hostages taken by the Hamas group in an official team photo. The player’s shirt displayed teammate Sharon Beck, who missed the game from injury, and a shirt calling for the release of Naama Levy. Levy and six other young women were taken from the Nahal Oz military base by Hamas gunmen on October 7, 2021.
There were demonstrators outside booing and blowing whistles while fireworks were set off as the match kicked off. The SFA had confirmed last week that spectators could not attend the game, saying it had no other option due to extensive security consultations with all key parties. Public demonstrations against Israel’s military operation in Gaza have been regularly happening across the United Kingdom
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