Clashes broke out in the northern bend of the Stade de France above the Irrésistibles, a group of Blues supporters, during the Nations League match between France and Israel on Thursday, November 14. Around twelve minutes after the start of the match, around fifty people triggered a crowd movement, as evidenced by several videos shared on the social network X, requiring the intervention of stewards to restore calm and form a security cordon . The CRS, already mobilized in numbers, showed themselves ready to intervene if the situation degenerated further.
Faced with tensions and the possibility of excesses, the French authorities have deployed an exceptional security system. A total of 4,000 police and gendarmes are positioned around and in the Saint-Denis stadium, as well as on transport and in several areas of Paris.
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A precedent in Amsterdam
Emmanuel Macron called for respect and solidarity during the event, stating that “ France will remain intractable towards anti-Semitism, wherever it manifests itself “. Due to the restrictions imposed, only French and Israeli flags are allowed in the stadium, Palestinian banners and any messages of a political nature are prohibited.
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This climate of tension follows violence that occurred a week earlier during a match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax in Amsterdam, where Israeli supporters were attacked, causing 20 to 30 injuries. Despite the risks, the French authorities refused to relocate or cancel the sporting event, unlike Belgium in September. Israel, however, advised its supporters not to go to the Stade de France, as a security measure.
