The meeting was interrupted for a few minutes this Wednesday evening, marked by a few moments of tension between Israeli supporters of Hapoel Holon and pro-Palestinian activists.
Tense sequence at the Palais des Sports Maurice-Thorez, in Nanterre (Hauts-de-Seine). The Altoséquanais club’s reception of Hapoel Holon in the Champions League was marked by an incident at the start of the third quarter this Wednesday evening, when the Ile-de-France residents were trailing by a short head, 43-42.
A spectator, carrying a Palestinian flag, entered the floor and waved the banner in front of the spectators in the room, and in particular the Israeli supporters. The individual was then blocked by venue security, not far from opposing fans. The latter began to insult the young man before the rapid intervention of the police to put an end to the insults. After a few tense moments, the match was able to resume and reach its conclusion.
The match was to take place behind closed doors after a municipal decree issued on Monday but the public was finally authorized to sit in the stands after the suspension of the decree by the administrative court. On the pitch, the Hauts-de-Seine club dominated Hapoël Holon (87-77) and joined the Champions League play-in.
Sporting events organized on French territory have been subject to increased security since the excesses in Amsterdam between supporters of Ajax and Maccabi Tel-Aviv. The France-Israel meeting (0-0), on November 14, was particularly tense with slight excesses in the stands. This Wednesday, a large police force was positioned at the RER exits.
