Yesterday evening, the vicinity of Talaght Stadium, near the Irish capital, Dublin, witnessed a vigil decorated with Palestinian flags, before the start of the football match between Ireland and Israel under-21 teams.
During the past hours, social media platforms in Ireland circulated a number of videos and photos, in which dozens of activists appeared outside the stadium, carrying Palestinian flags and banners calling for a boycott of the Israeli occupation government.
🇵🇸👏🏾 Well done to everyone who came along to say we love football, hate apartheid at Tallaght for the Ireland U21s V Israel.
We support the Palestinian #BDS call to expel apartheid Israel from UEFA & FIFA for its crimes.
#FreePalestine #EndIsraeliApartheid pic.twitter.com/8Z2x0dMZyC
— IPSC (@ipsc48) September 23, 2022
Journalist Harry Makan indicated that security tried to prevent the entry of flags and banners condemning Israel into the stadium, but a number of pictures circulated showing people carrying Palestinian flags, some of whom were wearing T-shirts that read "Freedom for Palestine."
The Irish-Palestinian Solidarity Campaign had previously called for a protest against the match, and the campaign shared the video of the stand before the match on its Twitter account and commented, "We support the demands of the Palestinian BDS movement and demand the exclusion of Israel from the International and European Football Associations."
Two Palestine flags on display at the Tallaght Stadium tonight as the Ireland U21s hosted Israel pic.twitter.com/Q4w0uvb0Kt
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) September 23, 2022
Security are confiscating flyers and Palestinian flags at Tallaght Stadium tonight on the way into the U21 European Championship playoff between Ireland and Israel.
pic.twitter.com/7oKzvpyCtb
— Harry McCann (@TheHarryMcC) September 23, 2022
In Tallaght Stadium tonight with @Dliodore64 watching Ireland U21s in the first leg of the play offs for the European Championships âš˝
🇮🇪✊🇵🇸#Ireland #FreePalestine #COYBIG #EndIsraeliApartheid #U21EURO pic.twitter.com/Plkp9lIjSZ
— Conchúr Is Ainm Dom (@TheNatureBhoy) September 23, 2022