24 hours later, the demands have not changed, but the dialogue had the merit of having started. The day after a pro-Palestinian demonstration at the headquarters of the French Football Federation, two delegates from the “Stop Genocide” collective were received shortly before 6 p.m. in the FFF offices. On Monday, a little more than forty pro-Palestinian activists came to protest for several hours inside the premises on Boulevard de Grenelle (Paris 15th arrondissement) against the holding of the League of Nations meeting between France and Israel. , scheduled for November 14 at the Stade de France.
A peaceful action which still led to a major intervention by the police, always without violence. This Tuesday, the crowd did not come in large numbers. But the governing body of French football still wanted to secure its headquarters by installing a security airlock and strengthening the presence of its staff at the entrance.
“The leaders of the Federation told us that they understood the very strong emotion caused by the prospect of this match, that they were aware of it. But that as soon as they had learned of the draw, they had contacted the public authorities and UEFA to express their concerns and that these two bodies had told them no, you can and you must organize this match”explains Nicolas, one of the two delegates of the collective, as he leaves the FFF premises.
His collective describes as genocide the war launched by the Jewish state in Gaza, in retaliation for the terrorist attacks of October 7 which struck Israel. He compares the situation with that of the war in Ukraine. “The authorities acted on the case of Russia very quickly, and here we are a year into the genocide and they still have not ruled…”, estimates the spokesperson for the collective.
A contractual obligation, according to the FFF
While doubt hovered over the location of the match and the presence or absence of the public, the police headquarters confirmed the arrangements for the meeting in mid-October: in a full Stade de France, on November 14 (8:45 p.m.). Has it been considered to relocate the confrontation, like Belgium which plays its match against Israel in Debrecen in Hungary on September 6? “They told us that the French team, by contract, had the obligation to play at the Stade de France, in Saint-Denis,” explains Nicolas.
The security issue is also, along with the political aspect, one of the major concerns surrounding the organization of this France-Israel. “We pointed out to them that the French authorities are themselves aware of the extreme sensitivity of the situation. It is experienced here in France as a provocation,” thinks Nicolas, who recalls that the Paris police prefect Laurent Nunez spoke of an “extremely reinforced security system”.
With less than ten days to go before the match, changes seem unlikely and the match should go well at the Stade de France. By receiving this association on Tuesday, the French Football Federation at least showed its sensitivity to the event. If his goodwill has already had an effect among the demonstrators, they do not intend to stop there: “We responded courteously but firmly that our campaign (for the cancellation of the match, Editor's note) continued.”
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