The French team is preparing to face Israel this Thursday in the League of Nations (8:45 p.m.), in a particularly tense context due to the current situation in the Middle East. The Stade de France and its surroundings are under close surveillance, with a very reinforced system. Law enforcement is preparing for any eventuality.
The sporting issue relegated to the background. The French team is preparing to host Israel this Thursday in the League of Nations (8:45 p.m.), in a fairly anxious atmosphere. The tense context surrounding the current situation in the Middle East raises fears of incidents on the sidelines of the meeting at the Stade de France. “There is no clear threat, but it remains a high-risk match,” confirmed Laurent Nunez, the Paris police prefect, on Franceinfo in the morning. “We see the tensions that there are in the demonstrations at the moment, particularly around pro-Palestinian demonstrations. So we have to remain extremely focused.”
A week after the violence which took place in Amsterdam, on the sidelines of the Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv (5-0), this France-Israel is placed under close surveillance. The security system has been greatly strengthened. Nearly 4,000 law enforcement officers will be deployed in the Paris region. As explained by RMC Sport last Friday, 2,500 of them will be positioned around the Stade de France, which should accommodate only 20,000 spectators (a quarter of its capacity). Grilles have been installed at the bottom of the stands to prevent intrusions onto the pitch.
A pro-Palestinian demonstration before the match
A demonstration in support of Palestine and the inhabitants of Gaza is planned for the end of the afternoon to protest against the holding of this meeting between France and Israel. “I am in discussions with the organizers, but this demonstration will take place in Saint-Denis. It does not worry me more than that. It is a gathering, people cannot wander around and if that were to be the case, we we will oppose it,” said Laurent Nunez.
The demonstration is expected to begin around 6 p.m. The gathering place has not yet been announced, but it will be “rather Place du Front Populaire”, at the crossroads of the municipalities of Saint-Denis and Aubervilliers. A little further than the Stade de France because there is “risk of disturbances to public order”, specified the prefect.
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