PSG fans’ ‘Free Palestine’ tifo draws criticism from French minister

The Paris club’s ultras fans unfurl a immense banner successful enactment of Palestine and Lebanon during a Champions League match.

French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has criticised the unveiling of a elephantine “Free Palestine” banner by Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) shot fans earlier their team’s UEFA Champions League lucifer against Atletico Madrid, saying it is “unacceptable”.

Retailleau said helium would “demand explanations” from the nine aft the Paris Ultras Collective (CUP) hard-core instrumentality radical unveiled the banner earlier kickoff astatine the Parc des Princes stadium connected Wednesday.

“I americium not ruling retired anything,” Retailleau told Sud Radio connected Thursday.

“I privation to cognize much and present however this banner came to beryllium unfurled. The Paris constabulary main (Laurent Nunez) explained what happened. We agreed connected a definite fig of things but I americium demanding accountability,” helium added.

The incidental came 8 days earlier France hosts Israel successful Paris successful a UEFA Nations League game.

The sprawling tifo – 50 metres wide and 20 metres high, and dispersed implicit some tiers of the stands down the PSG extremity – depicted the Palestinian and Lebanese flags with an representation of the Al-Aqsa Mosque successful occupied East Jerusalem astatine its centre.

“War connected the pitch, but bid successful the world,” a connection underneath said.

It besides showed the humanities representation of Palestine.

During the match, the fans unrolled different connection that read: “Does a child’s beingness successful Gaza mean little than another?”

“This banner had nary spot successful this stadium,” Retailleau wrote connected X.

“I inquire PSG to explicate itself and the clubs to guarantee that authorities does not travel to harm sport, which indispensable ever stay a root of unity,” helium said, adding specified actions were banned by some French shot and UEFA.

“If this were to hap again, we volition person to see forbidding banners for clubs that bash not enforce the rules,” helium added.

In a connection aft the match, PSG said they had not been alert “of immoderate plans to show specified a message”.

“Paris St Germain recalls that the Parc des Princes is – and indispensable stay – a spot of communion astir a communal passionateness for shot and firmly opposes immoderate connection of a governmental quality successful its stadium,” the nine added.

Al Jazeera reached retired to PSG aft the French minister’s remarks. The nine has not responded yet.

Last year, Scottish Premier League nine Celtic were fined $19,000 due to the fact that their fans waved Palestinian flags during a Champions League crippled aft the warfare successful Gaza broke out.

The club’s fans defied earlier bans connected flying the Palestinian flag.

“We’re unashamed of and unequivocal of our enactment for Palestine,” the radical told Al Jazeera successful November 2023.

Israel’s genocide successful Gaza has killed astatine slightest 43,391 Palestinians and injured 102,347 since the commencement of the warfare connected October 7, 2023, according to the Ministry of Health successful Gaza.

In Lebanon, astatine slightest 3,050 radical person been killed and 13,658 wounded successful Israeli attacks since the warfare connected Gaza began.

An estimated 1,139 radical were killed successful Israel during the Hamas-led attacks connected October 7, 2023, and much than 200 were taken captive.

France instrumentality connected Israel astatine the Stade de France adjacent Thursday, and fans are being allowed into the 80,000-capacity stadium.

Questions person been raised astir information surrounding the lawsuit successful a state that has the largest Jewish assemblage successful Europe – and the 3rd successful the world, mode down the United States and Israel – arsenic good arsenic the biggest fig of Muslims successful Europe.

Last month, Paris constabulary officials said the crippled would “of people beryllium unfastened to the public”.

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies