While the meeting between Nanterre and Hapoel Holon was to be played in front of empty stands, the Cergy-Pontoise administrative court suspended the closed session requested by the Nanterre town hall. And if everything went well on the floor for Philippe Da Silva’s team, qualified for the Champions League play-in after their 87-77 victory, the match was punctuated by incidents in the stands.
Played in an unhealthy climate, with 400 police officers for less than 500 spectators, the match had to be interrupted for a few minutes at the start of the third quarter following the intrusion of an individual on the floor brandishing a flag Palestinian, provoking strong reactions from Israeli supporters and the beginnings of scuffles in the public. While the man wanted to denounce the genocide in Gaza, he was quickly intercepted by security, as some Hapoel Holon fans began to rush in his direction. Scenes captured by journalist Enzo Rabouy, which testify to several acts of violence in the stands between various spectators.
According to information communicated by the police headquarters to France Info, the police intervened to put an end to “to the emerging clashes in the stands between supporters”. Seven people, including the supporter who entered the floor, were arrested.
Incidents in photos
After a few minutes of interruption, the meeting was able to come to an end, without any other major incident. Other journalists present on site, Cyril Camacho spoke « and double security cordon of police officers with riot shields to separate Israeli supporters from the rest of the public” while Clément Bigois described “the hooded police officers in front of the benches”.
What raises questions about the next basketball matches planned in France against Israeli teams: Maccabi Tel-Aviv is due to come to Paris on January 16 then to Villeurbanne on March 7, while Hapoel Jerusalem is expected in Bourg-en-Bresse on January 29.
