The Israel men’s soccer team received a cold welcome from the fans at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Wednesday night as it started its Olympics against Mali.
Fans booed and whistles rang out inside the stadium as the Israeli national anthem played. The stadium speaker got louder in an apparent effort to drown out the jeers. Israeli soccer players then faced boos every time they touched the ball.
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Israeli head coach Guy Luzon embraced the protests in a press conference on Tuesday.
“Bring on the loudest protests,” he said at the time, via Ynet News. “They will make us try harder.”
It was a tense match against Mali, which started with the team arriving under heavy police escort. Armed police officers patrolled the stadium to try to quell tensions. However, videos on social media showed clashes between fans.
In one particular instance, one woman was holding a Palestinian flag. Two other people holding Palestinian flags then stood next to the woman. Security officials intervened in the incident.
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“We owe this security to the whole world,” France’s Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said. “The threats to our country are the threats that concern the western world.”
Meanwhile, Israel and Mali played to a 1-1 draw – both earning points in Group D. Israel will take on Paraguay on Saturday.
Paris is deploying 35,000 police officers each day of the Olympics, with an estimated 45,000 being deployed for the opening ceremonies on the River Seine.
France is also receiving help from more than 40 countries that have sent nearly 2,000 police reinforcements.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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