France Mounts Security Operation for Israel Match after Amsterdam Violence

Thousands of extra police officers are being deployed in and around Paris ahead of a France-Israel football match on Thursday which comes a week after violence exploded on the streets of Amsterdam.

Pro-Palestinian groups are urging France against playing host to sporting teams of Israel while it is waging wars and deadly attacks in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and Lebanon, arguing that similar measures were taken against Russia over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, few have snapped up tickets for the match at the Stade de France, which is north of Paris, throwing into question for some the necessity of a large-scale police operation.

Officials say security at the match will be heavily reinforced. Police officers will be deployed at Stade de France and across public transport networks.

Measures are being beefed up in part to prevent the kind of clashes that broke out in Amsterdam, the Dutch capital, before and after a football match between Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv and the Netherlands’s Ajax team.

Pro-Palestinian protesters plan to gather in front of the Saint-Denis town hall, which is about a 20-minute walk from the stadium, on Thursday evening to express their opposition to the match.

Last week, Paris Saint-Germain fans unveiled a “Free Palestine” banner during a Champions League match at Parc des Princes stadium. French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau criticised the move, saying that the banner “had no place in the stadium”.