Fans of Glasgow-based Scottish football club Celtic defied attempts to ban Palestinian flags at recent matches against Israeli club Hapoel Be’er Sheva.
In the qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League, Celtic fans flew the red, green, black and white in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle despite threats of fines and even arrest.
The protest was led by the Green Brigade, a Celtic fan group. Marc Patrick Conaghan noted in Middle East Eye: “Celtic supporters are sympathetic to the Palestinian cause because their ancestral story is, for the most part, similar … The dispossession and hunger during the [Irish] famine – which left more than one million dead – and the devastation on the land and psyche of the survivors forced a diaspora of Irish people all over the globe. Many settled in Glasgow”.
UEFA forbids political symbols and flags from games, and previously fined Celtic for its fans’ actions. It has initiated disciplinary proceedings against the club for the latest act of solidarity.
In response to the impending fine, the Green Brigade set up a crowdfunding page to match the amount the club would be fined. The target was quickly surpassed and, as of writing, the group has raised almost $150,000, which will be sent to the Aida refugee camp outside of Bethlehem. The money will go toward medical care and support for local football.
“At the Champions League match with Hapoel Be’er Sheva on 17 August, the Green Brigade and fans throughout Celtic Park flew the flag for Palestine”, the group noted. “This act of solidarity has earned Celtic respect and acclaim throughout the world. It has also attracted a disciplinary charge from UEFA, which deems the Palestinian flag to be an ‘illicit banner’.
“In response to this petty and politically partisan act by European football’s governing body, we are determined to make a positive contribution to the game and today launch a campaign to #matchthefineforpalestine.”
In France, fans of Saint-Étienne also flew Palestinian flags during a Europa League match against Israeli club Beitar Jerusalem, whose supporters burnt down the clubhouse two years ago because the club signed a Muslim player.
Celtic fans remain staunch in their resistance to stripping football of politics and are an inspiration for other football fans who love the game but hate the increasing corporatisation of the sport.

Benjamin Solah

Soccer fans stand up for Palestine

Football fans walked out en masse during games around the country last weekend in protest at crowd surveillance and heavy-handed police tactics against fans.
In the last week of November, A-League supporters waged an unprecedented campaign in response to Sydney’s Daily Telegraph publishing a leaked list of 198 supporters banned from games for “anti-social behaviour”.
Active support groups have long organised independently to march to games, sing and chant for their clubs. This has put us at odds with the Federal Football Association and the media, which want to promote a clean-cut, corporate image of the sport.
The “anti-social behaviour” category includes a range of alleged offences, with bans handed down without evidence or any right of appeal. The effects of this leak are only beginning to be felt by those named. Julian Combo, a Western Sydney Wanderers supporter, lost his job after his boss spotted him on the leaked list.
Rebecca Wilson, the journalist responsible, spoke to Alan Jones on 2GB radio as the campaign was building. “Is this like terrorism in Paris?”, Jones asked. Wilson replied, “Exactly right”.
Supporters reacted by uniting across club lines to organise protests at all matches of the A-League, including two active support groups staging mass walkouts.
Melbourne Victory’s North Terrace and the Western Sydney Wanderers’ Red and Black Bloc walked out in the 30th minute of their respective matches on 28 and 29 November, leaving their usually loud and vibrant bays silent and empty to highlight the essential role fan culture plays in the growth and attraction of the league.
The demands put forward by fans include the introduction of a fair and open appeals process for all banned supporters.
Elsewhere, other supporter groups held up banners condemning the FFA and News Limited. In Newcastle, the Squadron unfurled a banner denouncing the “anti-football mafia”. Melbourne City’s active support group, the Melburnians, had a number of members evicted from the stadium for unfurling a banner reading, “WE STAND WITH THE 198”.
Protesting supporters have received the backing of players, who are fresh from their own bitter bargaining dispute with the FFA. Matt McKay, Brisbane Roar captain and president of the players’ union, told the union’s annual general meeting, “[T]he players are firm in their support of the fans and the players must stand with them”.
Media commentators have also entered the fray, including former Socceroos player Mark Bosnich, who interrupted A-League head Damien de Bohun on Fox Sports mid-interview after he avoided answering questions and refused to commit to an appeals process.
The response from de Bohun and FFA CEO David Gallop shows their complete disregard for active supporters. They have refused to defend fans from media slander or commit to a fair appeals process.
The Red and Black Bloc have vowed to boycott their next fixture. Other supporter groups are set to follow. In the words of the North Terrace, “We will not lie down until we achieve what we set out to”.

Jeremy Gibson

Football fans walk out to defend those banned

A recent Senate inquiry heard testimony regarding an unprecedented level of policing of soccer matches at Parramatta Stadium, including the use of mounted police, sniffer dogs, riot police and Strike Force Raptor, who are usually used only to deal with bikie gangs.
The primary targets of the attention are Western Sydney Wanderers fans and their active support group, the Red and Black Bloc.
The head of the Police Association labelled Wanderers fans “grubs” and sensationally claimed that police have never been more under threat at matches – despite police being the ones who pepper-sprayed a 13-year-old boy at a match last season. They were also found to have placed the entire bay of fans in the “active area” under arrest whenever they wanted to question an individual fan, surrounding all exits so no one could leave. Police have attempted to enforce many draconian measures, including banning flags and banners, and clapping above your head when chanting. They also tried to ban the pre-game march, despite other teams and sporting codes carrying out the same marches without issues.
The restrictions were withdrawn after a massive public outcry, but the police continue to attack fans, absurdly claiming that Wanderers fans could lead a Cronulla-style riot.
“It could lead to that large-scale public disorder”, NSW assistant police commissioner Denis Clifford told the Guardian.
Liberal Democrat senator David Leyonhjelm, whom I wouldn’t usually quote favourably, told reporters: “There is a saying … that all cops are bastards. The cops have earned that label”.

‘All cops are bastards’, says senator, as soccer fans are targeted

In the lead-up to the start of the A-League season in October, Western Sydney Wanderers football club has been handed a swath of proposed draconian measures against “active supporters” that will severely hamper the atmosphere and the freedoms of fans.
NSW Police handed the team, and active support group the Red and Black Bloc, a list of restrictions, including a ban on the traditional pre-game march, a ban on banners and flags and a ban on the raising of arms above head height to clap (because the police deem that aggressive behaviour).
If there are breaches of the new protocols, the police have threatened to hold up or stop games.
The restrictions also include the continued presence of the police Operation Support Group riot squad, which last season pepper-sprayed a number of fans, including a 13-year-old boy who was hospitalised as a result.
Despite media and police accusations of anti-social behaviour by fans, it has consistently been the NSW Police that have instigated aggression against fans at the behest of the Football Federation of Australia, which use images and footage of active fans to promote the game but over a number of seasons has worked with police to restrict the freedoms and movement of fans. The federation even hired undercover anti-terror private security firm Hatamoto to spy on fans and hand out bans for spurious reasons.
The Red and Black Bloc has vowed to defy the new restrictions and has attracted support from rival supporter groups because restrictions against one group of fans are often instituted against those of other clubs.

NSW Police unfairly targeting football fans

Refugees detained on Nauru staged further protests last week, marching from their compound into the city to demand better living conditions and fairer treatment from locals.
Many refugees on Nauru have been released into the community and resettled with no prospect of coming to Australia. Conditions in detention and in the community have become increasingly intolerable.
These protests follow several others over the past year on both Nauru and Manus Island.
Refugees marched outside Connect Settlement Services, the company making millions from detaining and demonising refugees on the Island.
Protesters chanted “We want freedom!”
One unnamed protester told ABC News: “We are refugees, we are not slaves. The way that we’re living here and the way the Nauru government is behaving with us is just like slaves.”
Some reports say that as many as 200 refugees were arrested and jailed, before being released on bail. This included a 13-year-old boy. For exercising their right to protest, while being attacked by locals, they’re being charged with assault and staging unlawful demonstrations.
In response to the protests, new immigration minister Peter Dutton said that he was unmoved and that no refugee would be resettled in Australia. In a statement, Dutton said, “My message to those who protest is that it will not change the government’s commitment to the processing and resettlement arrangements in place on Nauru.”
Dutton and officials on Nauru have repeatedly accused refugee advocates in Australia of “encouraging protests”. If that’s because activists have voiced solidarity with refugees and continued to protest here for their freedom, then we’re guilty as charged. But the conditions on Nauru and no prospect of release continue to drive refugees on both Nauru and Manus Island to protest.
There are numerous reports of refugees being assaulted and bashed on the island, and being released into the community only on condition that they don’t visit places such as schools, hospitals and the airport.
The racism and violence have led some to demand they be put back in the camp. One Iranian refugee told the Guardian: “They attack the refugees. You are walking in the street, they say ‘Fuck you, go back to your camp.’ They throw rocks. They spit at you. This is normal.”
Both the Australian and Nauruan governments have created this situation, pitting refugees and Nauruan citizens against each other.
Meanwhile, the Nauruan government and private corporations like Transfield are making millions from the contracts.

Refugees on Nauru demand freedom

Palestine may have lost its second Asian Cup match in Melbourne on Friday night, but its supporters celebrated like the team had won. Players overcame a military occupation to make it to Australia, and scored their first goal in a major tournament in front of a crowd of more than 10,000, the vast majority supporting the underdogs.
Palestine placed its hopes for progression to the knockout stage on this game, after losing to Japan in Newcastle on 12 January. A victory against Jordan would have set up a matchup against Iraq. It was always going to be an unlikely scenario but supporters came out to celebrate.
The Palestine supporters section drew many Palestinians from the large diaspora in Melbourne and Australia, as well as many supporters from the Middle East, Muslim countries and supporters of Palestinian liberation.
Even the Jordanian fans mixed in with us. Indeed, the Jordanian team and its supporters were not the enemy in this match – many of the players are of Palestinian heritage and some play for Al-Wehdat SC, a club based in a Palestinian refugee camp in Amman.
The crowd chanted “We are Palestine!” and “Free, free Palestine!” to drums, doumbeks and flutes, the crowd a sea of Palestinian flags, keffiyehs, face paint, and jerseys of the national team. Also on display were jerseys of Club Deportivo Palestino, the diaspora club in Chile, which had its jersey banned for substituting the number one with a map of historic Palestine. Many of the jerseys bore the number 48, the year of the Nakba.
Three teenage Palestinian supporters told Red Flag what it meant for them to see Palestine play in Australia, “It’s a great honour. This is a once in a lifetime chance. It means so much with everything they’ve been going through for the last 60 years.”
After many scoring opportunities for both sides, eventually Jordan scored two goals in the space of a few minutes, and scored a third before half time. Each time, the crowd went silent for only a short moment before erupting into chanting and singing once again, refusing to be deterred as the team nicknamed “The Strivers” searched for that momentous first goal.
At half time, police and security moved into the supporters section, confronting many of those wearing t-shirts calling for the Boycott of Israel. They also confiscated the megaphone of a Palestinian supporter.
But supporters stood together, ensuring that the attempts to censor the political message failed. Even an attempt to confiscate an Irish flag being flown by Celtic supporters was unsuccessful. Celtic supporters are known to wave the Palestinian flag at club matches in Glasgow – a gesture of solidarity from a predominantly Catholic fan base. There was no shortage of Celtic jerseys throughout the crowd on Friday.
The goal finally came in the 85th minute. Down 5-0 goals, Palestine continued to push forward and attack, winning a free kick within striking range. Jaka Hbaisha, raised in Slovenia and returning to Palestine at the age of 18, netted the historic first goal, striking a volley from a tight angle.
That one goal was enough to send the crowd into ecstatic celebration. At game’s end, supporters took an eternity to move out of the stadium. We stopped to chant and dance; people jumped on each other’s shoulders to get a better view. Everyone enthusiastically took up the chant “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!”, which was led by Jordanian supporters who joined the protest-like atmosphere outside. Fans were dancing the dabka long after the final whistle.

Goal for Palestine!

Palestine gets a chance to take the world stage this month when the Palestinian National Football team plays in the Asian Cup, hosted by Australia. “We want to send a message to the world, to tell them that the Palestinian people exist despite all the Israeli obstacles”, captain and goalkeeper Ramzi Saleh told Agence France-Presse last year.
This is the team’s first major international tournament after years of Israeli sabotage. Palestinian football players face obstacles unlike other teams. Training is cancelled regularly due to players being held at checkpoints littered throughout the West Bank. Players are imprisoned or denied exit visas to leave the country to attend major tournaments and World Cup qualifying matches.
Mahmoud Sarsak played for the Palestinian Olympic team and twice for the national team. In 2009, he was detained for three years without charge or trial. He was released only after a 60-day hunger strike made persecution of Palestinian footballers a major issue among FIFA members.
In January 2014, two promising young players – Jawhar Nasser Jawhar, 19, and Adam Abd al-Raouf Halabiya, 17 – were shot in the feet by Israeli soldiers. They will never play again.
Three players lost their lives during Israel’s Operation Cast Lead assault on Gaza in 2009 and the stadium in Rafah was bombed twice.
Qualifying for the Asian Cup despite all of this is a major source of pride and inspiration to Palestinians. The Guardian quoted one student, Ibrahim Alyan, as saying, “It still is important for us, even if it won’t change our situation. It shows that most of the world – those who live in Asia – recognises Palestine.”
After making it this far, the odds are still stacked against the team. It will likely only have 22 players in the squad, after Chilean-born Matias Jadue was ruled out due to a delay in FIFA recognising his right to play for Palestine, the nationality of his father. Defender Haitham Dheeb was also ruled out through injury.
His replacement, Sameh Mara’ba, was set to join the team ahead of its debut against Japan in Newcastle, only to be denied an exit visa by Israel.
With matches against Jordan, and previous winners Japan and Iraq, the Palestinians have little chance of advancing beyond the group stage.
In the face of Israel’s attempts to deny the players even the chance to raise their flag above a football pitch, they have qualified and put Palestine on the football world map.
[Palestine plays Jordan tonight in Melbourne.]

Putting Palestine on football’s world map

The corporate media and football (soccer) officials this summer have launched a hysterical campaign against football fans. They have been especially keen to demonise independent and passionate fans of the Western Sydney Wanderers and Melbourne Victory clubs.
The latest barrage of headlines and sanctions against fans and clubs escalates an ongoing campaign to stifle “active support” – a section of fans who usually stand and sing for the whole game, lead chants and hold up banners in support of their team.
“Active fans” feel like they are not just spectators but active participants in helping their club win. They are often referred to as the “twelfth man” on the field. The campaign is also a smokescreen for the wider law and order agenda and a green light for disgusting racist and anti-working class attacks.
Collective punishment
The media-driven hysteria has culminated in collective punishment being doled out by the Football Federation Australia (FFA). Victory and the Wanderers have been charged with “bringing the game into disrepute” over a brawl that occurred miles from an A-League ground as well as the lighting of flares in the bay of travelling supporters.
The governing body has imposed sanctions on both clubs in an attempt to turn other fans against active fans who organise independently of the club.
The vocal and organised nature of football supporters distinguishes the game from other sports in Australia. The willingness of supporter groups to articulate a different vision of football culture – against the designs of the official corporate structures – is what gives them a certain edgy, rebellious quality that some find invigorating and many in the media and government find so concerning.
A recent Herald Sun piece outlined why the police and corporate officials are so concerned: “Briefing notes for [police] officers … describe soccer fans’ behaviour as ‘totally different to AFL and cricket’. It states they have a ‘touch one, touch all’ mentality” – a reference to the solidarity shown by different clubs’ supporters campaigning to defend other clubs’ fans against unjust bans and evictions.
For many years now, the presence of riot police, the public order response team and “anti-terror” security firm Hatamoto has increased at matches, with riot police marching into active support bays and evicting people.
Fans are filmed and monitored by police and security before, during and after games. Bans that cannot be appealed are handed out arbitrarily. Fans have been pepper sprayed by police. One Victory fan was punched in the face by security in December for holding up a banner reading “Football = freedom”.
Restrictions have been placed on Victory fans in the active support group North Terrace – which gives “European style” active support at the north end of the stadium, with a “capo” or captain leading chants on the megaphone.
They’ve been isolated from the rest of the crowd by tarpaulins on the wings. Scanners are used at entrances to heavily regulate entry into the active support areas. Banners for sub-groups within North Terrace have been banned, removing the right to freedom of association.
In Sydney, tifos, which are big banners held over the top of fans at the beginning of games, have been banned at what the police deem “high risk matches” because they want to monitor fans more easily. This is particularly the case for Western Sydney Wanderers fans.
Protests
Supporters groups like the Red and Black Bloc (Western Sydney) and North Terrace have not taken the attacks and intimidation lying down. The FFA and clubs have been all too happy to use these fans to sell the sport, so fans have held silent protests that starve the games of atmosphere.
Multiple games last season had portions played in silence as fans held up protest banners. One read “Corporate ties = media lies” and another “Hatamoto out of football”, referring to the security firm.
North Terrace fans have held up banners reading “1984”, chanted against the FFA and police, boycotted the designated section and boycotted giving active support. This response resulted in officials lifting sanctions.
Although the FFA’s punitive measures supposedly target the “anti-social behaviour” of a minority of “troublemakers”, it is the players and mass supporter base who suffer.
The language of “strong action” to protect the majority against an extreme and dangerous minority will be familiar to anyone who has witnessed the divide and rule approaches used against union militants, protest movements and migrant communities.
At the heart of the issue, a range of agendas are at play. These include Melbourne Victory’s insistence on control and surveillance, as well as the FFA’s determination to reduce the football experience to a sanitised, middle-class, so-called “family-friendly” environment.
But the spectre hanging over all of this is the imposition of law and order politics in the cultural sphere of professional sports.

Soccer fans stand up for Palestine

Football fans walk out to defend those banned

‘All cops are bastards’, says senator, as soccer fans are targeted

NSW Police unfairly targeting football fans

Refugees on Nauru demand freedom

Goal for Palestine!

Putting Palestine on football’s world map

Fans cry foul over crackdown

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