Ireland vs Qatar Match Interrupted by Protests

An international friendly soccer match between Ireland and Qatar was interrupted twice owing to protests against the Nations League games with Israel. Tennis balls were thrown onto the pitch at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium by fans from the upper West, East, and South sections, reported The 42.

The protest was orchestrated by League of Ireland fans who issued a statement asserting that their actions aimed to send a “strong message” to the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) and the Irish government.

“The Nations League fixtures between Ireland and Israel must be cancelled,” stated the protesters as per the outlet.

Fans from major League of Ireland clubs in Dublin were joined by supporters of Cork City, Drogheda United, Dundalk FC, Galway United, Sligo Rovers, and Waterford. They threw tennis balls onto the pitch with the demand to “#StopTheGame” marked on them.

A video recorded by The 42’s David Sneyd captured the protest, displaying fans hurling tennis balls from the upper tiers. A banner inscribed with “#StopTheGame” was also prominently displayed from the front row. In addition, chants of “Free Palestine” reverberated throughout the stadium.

A protest participant commented,

“It is unconscionable that these games would go ahead as the apartheid Occupation regime continues to perpetrate genocide against the Palestinian people.”

The commentator highlighted that given military service is obligatory in Israel, many players in the Nations League squad have served in the Israel Defense Forces. They claimed the forces killed more than 1,000 athletes and coaches, including 421 football players, in Gaza since October 2023.

Prior to the protests, Ireland’s manager Heimir Hallgrímsson had called upon fans to support the team instead of protesting during a Wednesday press conference.

The Professional Footballers’ Association Ireland (PFAI), Irish Football Supporters Partnership (IFSP), CK United, Cork City, and Bohemian FC proposed a motion urging the FAI to abstain from playing the scheduled games against Israel “on both legal and moral grounds,” according to The 42.

Ireland’s match against Israel is set for September 27 on neutral ground, followed by another match in Dublin on October 4.

Tensions related to soccer with Israel are not new this month. Jibril Rajoub, Palestinian Football Association President, declined to shake hands or even stand near Israel Football Association Vice President Basim Sheikh Suliman at the FIFA Congress on May 1. Both were invited by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, but Rajoub refused any interaction with Suliman, citing reasons related to Israel’s political leadership.

“I refused to shake hands. Sport is sport. For me, that should be respected,” Rajoub said, pointing to his belief that Israel should face suspension from international soccer.

In the match itself, Ireland triumphed over Qatar with a 1-0 score despite being a player short following a red card.