Protesters attack Israeli football team in Austria

Published July 24, 2014
—Photo courtesy Photoshot/Daily Mail
—Photo courtesy Photoshot/Daily Mail

VIENNA: Protesters against Israel's military offensive in Gaza attacked Israeli football players at a friendly match in Austria on Wednesday evening, stopping play five minutes before the end.

Salzburg police said on Thursday around 20 people with flags and placards, mostly Austrians of Turkish origin, stormed the pitch shouting slogans about the Gaza conflict, in which more than 700 Palestinians have been killed and thousands displaced.

Police said there were clashes with the players from Maccabi Haifa, which was playing a friendly against Lille in Bischofshofen in Salzburg province, but no one was injured and police were quickly able to calm the situation.

The provincial office for the protection of the constitution is investigating.

Austria's chancellor condemned the violence.

“Guests who are staying in Austria have the right to do so in safety, regardless of their origin and religion,” Werner Faymann said in a statement.

Opinion

Editorial

Defining extremism
Updated 18 Mar, 2024

Defining extremism

Redefining extremism may well be the first step to clamping down on advocacy for Palestine.
Climate in focus
18 Mar, 2024

Climate in focus

IN a welcome order by the Supreme Court, the new government has been tasked with providing a report on actions taken...
Growing rabies concern
18 Mar, 2024

Growing rabies concern

DOG-BITE is an old problem in Pakistan. Amid a surfeit of public health challenges, rabies now seems poised to ...
Provincial share
Updated 17 Mar, 2024

Provincial share

PPP has aptly advised Centre to worry about improving its tax collection rather than eying provinces’ share of tax revenues.
X-communication
17 Mar, 2024

X-communication

IT has now been a month since Pakistani authorities decided that the country must be cut off from one of the...
Stateless humanity
17 Mar, 2024

Stateless humanity

THE endless hostility between India and Pakistan has reduced prisoners to mere statistics. Although the two ...