“…we Celtic fans invoke our democratic rights to display our opposition to Israeli Apartheid, settler-colonialism and countless massacres of the Palestinian people…”

As Celtic fans began to arrive at Celtic Park for Wednesday night’s match against Hapoel Beer Sheba many who donned the famous green and white hoops of their team also carried the red, black, green and white colours of the Palestinian flag. Chants of ‘Free Palestine’ were heard widely outside the stadium. As the match kicked-off hundreds of flag were simultaneously raised in the new ‘safe-standing’ area of the ground as well as around the stadium.

In the lead up to the match, European football’s ruling body UEFA threatened fines and potential sanctions if political statements were made by fans.  Many Celtic supporters however, including the well known ‘Green Brigade’ group, refused to bow down to the threats and issued a statement via social media in the lead up to the match:

…we Celtic fans invoke our democratic rights to display our opposition to Israeli Apartheid, settler-colonialism and countless massacres of the Palestinian people…

…until there is end to the brutal occupation and medieval siege of the West Bank and Gaza, until the Palestinian citizens of current day Israel have the chains of apartheid lifted from them and until all Palestinian refugees are allowed to return to their homeland we will always be visually and openly in support of the Palestinians and opposed to their Israeli colonisers…

Source: middleeastmonitor.com