Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched on Tuesday through the northern Italian city of Udine ahead of Italy’s World Cup qualifier against Israel, ending their mostly peaceful rally with clashes involving police.
Police estimated more than 5,000 people took part in the march, which moved through the city centre in the late afternoon before the match at the Friuli Stadium won by Italy 3-0 began at 20:45 (18:45 GMT).
Organised by the Committee for Palestine-Udine, protesters urged FIFA to bar Israel from all competitions, accusing the team of supporting “occupation policies” in the Palestinian territories. Participants carried an 18-metre Palestinian flag and a red banner reading “Show Israel the red card”. A statue representing justice held scales in one hand and a red card in the other.
“There has been a ceasefire, but not peace. As my placard said, there can be no peace without justice,” said demonstrator Valentina Bianchi.
After the march, some protesters threw firecrackers and barriers at riot police, who responded with tear gas and water cannon. State broadcaster RAI said one of its journalists was hit by a stone and hospitalised, while Ansa reported a second journalist and several police officers were also injured.
“What happened tonight is unacceptable. Our city strongly condemns the violence at the end of the demonstration,” said mayor Alberto Felice De Toni.
Organisers pressed ahead with the protest despite the recent ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which included the release of remaining hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
Security measures
The Italian football federation said just over 9,000 tickets were sold well below the stadium’s reduced capacity of 16,000.
Fearing unrest, some shops stayed closed throughout the day, while others shut early. Local authorities imposed strict security measures, including road closures, parking bans, and concrete barriers around the stadium. Food and drink in glass, ceramic or tin containers were prohibited, and outdoor furniture had to be removed.
Some residents criticised the heavy police presence. “I saw helicopters flying overhead. Such a deployment of forces for a football match should never be necessary,” said local resident Paolo Lizzi.
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