Pro-Palestinian Protest Disrupts Ireland Soccer Match
· Yahoo Sports
Protesters opposed to Ireland playing its Nations League soccer matches against Israel tossed tennis balls onto the pitch Thursday during Ireland's 2-2 draw against Austria at Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
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Ireland was leading 1-0 after 19 minutes when about 30 tennis balls wrapped in stickers featuring the Palestinian flag and the text "#StopTheGame" were thrown onto the pitch. Referee Allard Lindhout took the players to the sideline while the balls were cleared, drawing boos from the crowd, the Irish Times reported.
"I think it kind of helped us in a good moment," Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson told Irish broadcaster RTE of the protest, according to The Times of Israel.
"We could have a breather and some drinks. But you're never happy with this, but understand it and respect it."
The game resumed after a four-minute break, but there was another brief delay about 15 minutes later when a man carrying a Palestinian flag ran onto the pitch before being stopped by security.
At halftime, RTE published a statement in which the "Stop the Game" initiative claimed responsibility for throwing the tennis balls and declared the protest over.
"It was a token act, deliberately limited, but necessary and done in solidarity with Gavin Bazunu and the people of Palestine facing genocide," the statement said.
Bazunu, an Ireland goalkeeper, withdrew from the squad for its two matches against Israel, saying he believed "it would be wrong to participate." Ireland's players held lengthy discussions over whether to play Sunday's first match against Israel before a "significant majority" voted to proceed.
Ireland defeated Israel 3-0 in Debrecen, Hungary. The Irish players wore black armbands and did not shake hands with their Israeli counterparts before the match.
In June, the Football Association of Ireland moved Sunday's second game against Israel to a neutral venue in Serbia, citing "operational challenges" that could affect staging the game in Ireland. The match will be played behind closed doors.
The move followed the FAI's own motion in November 2025 calling on UEFA, European soccer's governing body, to suspend Israel from club and international competitions.
The "Stop the Game" initiative issued an open letter Wednesday urging the Irish team and Hallgrimsson not to play Sunday and has called on the Irish government and FAI to cancel the game.
Ireland has been one of the most vocal critics of Israel's conduct of the war in Gaza following Iranian-backed Hamas' terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023. Dublin formally recognized a Palestinian state in 2024 alongside Spain and Norway.
Israel closed its embassy in Dublin later that year, accusing the Irish government of extreme anti-Israel policies and antisemitism.
Ireland's exhibition match against Qatar at Aviva Stadium in May also was halted twice when protesters threw tennis balls onto the pitch to protest the scheduled matches against Israel.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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