Celtic face yet another UEFA rap as fans fly Palestine flags

[ian1964 10,413]

A sorry state that this is my first post but I simply can't believe that this has happened in Scotland.

It embarrasses me that this is the way our nation's people are being reported as behaving all over the world.

What is worse is the usual whitewashing politically and journalistically.

How is it acceptable, at all, never mind for political reasons (which are vastly complex and have nothing to do with this country), that a group of football fans are welcomed to a Scottish football ground, surrounded by absolute hostility (can we call it anti-Semitic?)? Why are these actions not being roundly condemned? The link above is what set me off; the Green Party MP trying to justify it. It wasn't just Palestine flags as the press were reporting; it's easy to find the massive banner of the grim reaper also - I guess that must be some sort of Palestinian flag? There were people being jostled with a police protection in full daylight, on video.

The fact that this isn't being condemned really makes me shiver - is this what Scotland is becoming? Somewhere where it is ok to hassle a group of people openly because of their nationality / faith and to be BACKED UP by MPs? Does this not sound familiar?

 

This wee country is fucked!

[ian1964 10,413]

Irish4Israel - Kurdish, Georgian and Ukrainian lives don’t matter to Glasgow Celtic fans

 

Glasgow Celtic fans are a motley bunch. Some of them are Scottish people who – by virtue of having a great-grandfather who was born in somewhere like Donegal – choose to identify themselves as Irish and, accordingly embrace all things they perceive as being Irish. That apparently includes Glasgow Celtic.

 

 

 

Some others are Irish people who direct their hard-earned euros towards a relatively wealthy club in another country whilst their local League of Ireland team which – since it competes with Gaelic football, hurling and rugby – can barely muster enough money to keep the floodlights on.

 

 

 

Such is the close identification of Glasgow Celtic with Irishness in the minds of its fans, many of them don’t bother to buy the Irish international soccer jersey. When the Republic of Ireland plays an international match, they simply turn up in their Celtic shirt.

 

 

 

The fans of no other club do this. Not even fans of Irish clubs. Not even fans of Shamrock Rovers or Cork City whose jerseys’ colours would be the same as those of the national jersey. It’s a source of simmering annoyance to other fans of the Irish national team that Celtic fans accord this distinction to themselves and indeed is the subject of a longstanding petition that has attracted hundreds of signatures.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, I personally know some Irish fans who, just to make the point, approach these Celtic jersey-wearers at Irish international matches to welcome them to Ireland and ask them how the Scottish international team is doing!

 

 

 

They’re fans of the Irish international team but a Scottish team comes first. Doublethink is not a new concept for these people so it’s no surprise to find a little hypocrisy in the mix as well. It’s against the rules to brandish offensive or overtly political banners at football matches but that didn’t stop hundreds of Celtic fans from waving free Palestine flags at their match against Hapoel Be’er Sheva of Israel on Wednesday, August 17.

 

 

 

It’s a mystery unto this writer why Hapoel Be’er Sheva – a club which has won awards for the positive behaviour of its fans and is recognised for its efforts to integrate Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs – was targeted. There are too many ironies here to be covered in one article.. Whilst Hapoel has done much to integrate Israelis of all religious backgrounds, Glasgow Celtic is very much identified with the Roman Catholic community. Rather than trying to intimidate its visiting fans, they could learn a lot from Hapoel.

 

 

 

Have Celtic fans protested similarly before? No. They’ve recently played Galatasaray of Turkey and Spartak Moscow without so much as one Kurdish, Armenian, Ukrainian or Georgian flag being raised in anger. In the mindset of Glasgow Celtic fans, some lives and causes just don’t seem to matter as much.

 

http://www.irish4israel.ie/blog/

[ian1964 10,413]

Lifted from FF:

 

The Green Brigade statement, read: “Prior to last night’s match with Hapoel Beer Sheva a collective of Celtic fans and Palestinian activists in Glasgow called on fans to show our support for the Palestinian people and fly the flag for Palestine. Like many fans throughout the stadium, the Green Brigade answered this call.

 

“From our work with grassroots Palestinian groups in the West Bank and the refugee camps of Bethlehem, we know the positive impact international solidarity has on those living in the open prisons of the Occupied Territories. We also know that their suffering cannot be ignored by the international community and last night’s actions also sought to raise awareness of the Boycott, Divest, Sanctions (BDS) campaign which seeks to challenge the normalisation of the Israeli occupation.

 

“Some have argued that football and politics do not mix, including European football’s discredited governing body. In Palestine, however, there is little dispute. The occupation has seen the Palestinian national stadium destroyed twice by Israeli bombs and footballers killed, maimed and imprisoned. In 2013 we were proud to welcome Mahmoud Sarsak, a Palestinian international footballer detained without crime or trial for three years in an Israeli prison, to Glasgow. Mahmoud had only recently been released from prison after a 96-day hunger strike and widespread international protest.

 

“The BDS campaign builds on the success of earlier anti-apartheid campaigns. In the 1980s fans and citizens protested against South African sports teams and ultimately shamed the authorities into excluding apartheid South Africa from sporting activity. The late anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela, whose death was marked by a minute’s silence at European matches on UEFA’s instructions, famously remarked that ‘we know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians’. Mandela was right, and like the wider Celtic support we will continue to fly the flag for Palestine.

 

 

“The response we have had since last night [Wednesday night] has been overwhelming, with messages of support pouring in from our fellow fans, human rights organisations and the global Palestinian community. We would like to thank them sincerely for their backing and tonight reiterate our support for justice and freedom in Palestine.

 

“We also understand that a downmarket tabloid newspaper may run a story suggesting our group in some way misled Celtic plc and told them that we would not be displaying our support for Palestine. This is a complete fabrication and we condemn anyone who spreads smear stories attacking football fans to The Sun.”

[barca72 440]

They really do believe that the terrorists they associate themselves with can be characterized as freedom fighters.

I guess a person can convince themselves of anything.

[JFK-1 1,671]

UEFA need to really throw the book at this crowd in a meaningful way. Aside from their long and accumulating rap sheet it would appear pretty apparent that the club itself while not coming straight out and endorsing this continuing flouting of the rules says and does nothing to stymie it either.

 

Fines apparently don't impress them so it clearly has to be taken to another level.

[StuGers 477]

2 things I've noticed about this coming out now:

 

1. They seem to be trying to justify it by bringing up the UEFA / Mandella tribute.

How can targeting a group of fans both inside and outside of their stadium with abuse and offensive banners (plus flags) also targeting people of a certain faith / nationality be compared to this? In their twisted heads it can. The scary thing is, most of my Celtic supporting pals also have this viewpoint and cannot be talked round.

 

2. Why are Celtic getting little flack for this and it purely landing on the fans' door? Maybe I'm being a bit niaive as I've never smuggled a huge fucking banner into a stadium, but surely it can be pretty easy to stop this? Surely it isn't hard to search fans to ensure that they don't bring these things in- especially as it was common knowledge that they would bring them in. And you know EXACTLY where they are sitting?

Edited August 20, 2016 by StuGers

[RANGERRAB 3,258]

Amazing how many people don't seem to realise there's never been a country called Palestine.

[ian1964 10,413]

 

[Scott7 5,161]

Delusion is comical and worrying in equal measure.

[ian1964 10,413]

ISRAELI police yesterday warned Celtic fans they’ll take a zero-tolerance approach if Palestinian flags are waved during this week’s Champions League qualifier.

 

Supporters have been told they face arrest if they try to repeat the demonstration staged at Parkhead on Wednesday.

 

European football’s governing body UEFA opened disciplinary proceedings against the club on Friday after fans displayed flags in support of Palestine during the home leg of the tie against Hapoel Be’er Sheva.

 

Police say Celtic fans travelling to Beersheba for the return clash will be searched for pro-Palestine banners before they enter the ground.

 

Fans caught with the national flag of Palestine in Hapoel’s Turner stadium will have them confiscated and face arrest for provoking rival fans.

 

A security summit is being held tomorrow to detail the policing plan for the game.

 

Israeli police spokesman Chief Inspector Micky Rosenfeld said: “Obviously it won’t be allowed – that is for sure. The flags would of course be taken off them.

 

“This is a professional football game and not a political opportunity.

 

“In terms of the football game, it’s not going to add to the atmosphere and might start up tensions which could lead to other issues.

 

“Our aim is to prevent any incidents from taking place as a result of any unnecessary provocative behaviour by any of the fans.

 

“There will be security measures implemented to prevent those sorts of incidents from taking place.

 

“It is not illegal to have a Palestinian flag in Israel but provocation by fans of either side is and we will not tolerate it.”

 

Police have confiscated Palestinian flags in the past to prevent violence when they have been waved at games involving local Arab and Israeli teams.

 

Rosenfeld added: “I would imagine the same sort of security measures would be implemented.

 

“Any material that would cause incitement to violence would definitely not be permitted to be taken to the game to prevent any disturbances inside the stadium or outside.

 

“Private security guards and the police will respond accordingly based on the type of incident.”

 

Protesters say Beersheba is built on occupied Palestinian land.

 

Around 100 Palestine flags were displayed during Celtic’s 5-2 first-leg win on Wednesday.

 

Many of them were in Parkhead’s new standing section, which is occupied by the Green Brigade fans’ group.

 

They held up the flags despite warnings from Police Scotland and the possibility of UEFA sanctions.

 

UEFA rules prohibit the use of “any message that is not fit for a sports

event, particularly messages that are of a political, ideological, religious, offensive or provocative nature”.

 

Celtic have been punished eight times in five seasons for misconduct by fans.

 

When the latest case is dealt with on September 22, they could be hit with a heavy fine or even part-closure of their stadium for a future European fixture.

 

Two years ago, Celtic were fined about £16,000 after a Palestine flag was displayed at a Champions League qualifier against KR Reykjavik.

 

In total, the club have been fined £123,000 for the use of flares, prohibited banners, unacceptable crowd behaviour and improper team conduct at Euro ties.

 

Newcastle-based Middle East expert Dr Denis MacEoin – a Pro-Israel member of US think-tank Gatestone – said: “There is a lot of serious talk that Hamas may be building up towards another war so the waving of Palestinian flag could be seen as provocation.

 

“UEFA have made it clear to Celtic that you are not allowed to do this.

 

“If this did happen in Beersheba, that would seal their fate.

 

“You would also expect the police to step in and arrest some of the ring-leaders if there is flag-waving.”

 

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/israeli-cops-warn-celtic-fans-8674111