New Delhi: The atmosphere was highly intense as the Israeli national anthem played in Parc des Princes, with 25,000 fans watching the game during the Paris Olympics. Around 1,000 French police officers were deployed to provide security at Israel’s match as the event saw both Palestine and Israel flags flying high.
Despite the national anthem being booed, there was no particular disruption, as one may have feared. Israeli President Isaac Herzog attended the highly anticipated game, which French security forces recognised as a high-risk game, along with Ukraine’s game against Iraq in the city of Lyon. Adding to the security concerns was Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who appeared in the US Congress. To avoid mishaps, Israeli athletes have already been provided with round-the-clock personal security from the elite French police both inside the Olympic Village and every time they leave the compound.
There were signs of mismanagement and over-caution initially, as the earlier game at Parc des Princes between Uzbekistan and Spain had some spectators unable to get to their seats for the kick-off after a suspicious bag saw a section of the area cordoned off. There were some demonstrations, including eight people who appeared with the Palestinian flag in what is suspected to be the VIP section. More or less, it was a peaceful protest, though some security guards had to remain alert to maintain the decorum. Any escalation from either of the two nations was calmed down by the officials.
France’s interior minister, Gérald Darmanin, had promised that the Israel team would be protected from every escalating situation. Keeping to his words, the Israel team, accompanied by 20 outrider motorcyclists and a further two dozen police vans in pursuit, arrived almost two hours before the game.
Despite all the tensions, fans were able to come and watch the game, which ended with Israel drawing 1-1 with Mali. After the match, Darmanin expressed his pleasure at having seen the game go uneventfully and with every situation properly dealt with by French law enforcement.
Nearly 1000 French police officers were deployed after Israel’s game against Mali was deemed as high-risk event by the French officials. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
