Glasgow, Scotland – The atmosphere at Celtic Park on European nights only needs a few extra extras, the electricity in the air on such occasions is enough to light up the Glasgow skyline many times over.
But as 60,000 Celtic fans packed the famous arena last Wednesday night for the Champions League match against Atletico Madrid, it wasn’t just the anticipation of the match that fueled the energy before -match.
As kickoff approached, the stadium transformed into a sea of Palestinian flags, each flying the colors of Palestine in solidarity with those in Gaza under Israeli assault.
Days earlier, when Celtic supporters displayed Palestinian flags during a domestic away match, television channels were accused of deliberately avoiding such exposure. This time, they didn’t have that option. The exhibition was broadcast around the world and quickly shared millions of times on social media.
The main standard-bearers, literally and figuratively, are the Green Brigade – an “ultras” group formed in 2006, renowned for its Irish republicanism and unwavering support for the Palestinian cause.
It’s a stance that has attracted many admirers but often puts them at odds with the club’s board, who are more politically conservative than the fans.
Fearing sanctions from football’s governing bodies, the club urged fans to ignore the Green Brigade’s call to show support for Palestine during the Atletico Madrid match, issuing a statement requesting “that banners, flags and symbols relating to the conflict and the countries involved in the conflict “are not displayed at Celtic Park at this time”.
Days before the match, in an apparent warning to the group, Celtic banned the Green Brigade from all away matches. Following the demonstration against Atletico Madrid, this ban was extended to all home matches.
In a letter to fans, the club outlined several reasons for the ban, including anti-social behavior, the use of pyrotechnics and, most importantly, “against Atletico Madrid, another unauthorized demonstration, breaching previously communicated restrictions “.
For the Green Brigade, there is no doubt that it was the protest over Palestine that led to the ban.
“The other problems are just a smokescreen,” the Green Brigade told Al Jazeera. “The club is very intelligent and cynical. They want to sanction us, they want to punish us. They want to send us a message to try to keep us on course and dissuade us from taking further action.
But they know very well that on the issue of Palestine, they are not on solid ground because they don’t have much support among the wider fans on this issue. So they use other issues on which they think they have support to sanction us.”
The Green Brigade also told Al Jazeera that senior Celtic officials had previously told them privately that they were more concerned about “their corporate image and corporate responsibilities” to shareholders.
“But we are unashamed and unequivocal in our support for Palestine and this will continue,” the group said.
“And once again Celtic’s wider support showed that they too had the courage and conviction to stand up and be counted. Getting on the right side of history and expressing support for the oppressed, which in this case are the Palestinians.
The club did not respond to Al Jazeera’s requests for comment.
“They give us hope that we are not alone”
For those familiar with the history of Celtic, a club born from the Irish Catholic diaspora in Scotland, the solidarity of supporters during the assault on Gaza was no surprise. Support for left-wing anti-imperialist causes among fans is common.
Banning the Green Brigades is a risky escalation by the club, as the group is popular among Celtic’s wider support.
Indeed, the flags supporting Palestine at Celtic Park predate the group’s formation. Shareholder group The Celtic Trust and ultras group Bhoys Celtic have both condemned the ban, with the latter staging a walkout in protest at the recent match against St Mirren.
“There will be no return to normal on our part as long as this absurd and completely avoidable situation continues,” Bhoys Celtic said in a statement, suggesting further walkouts or boycotts could take place.
With the ban on around 300 supporters indefinite “pending further review”, the situation leaves Celtic a club in civil war at a crucial time of the season.
Some fans believe their political displays can sometimes go too far, but all agree their absence will have a negative impact on the atmosphere at matches.
There is also precedent for Celtic supporters uniting on the issue of Palestine. When the Green Brigade showed their support for Palestine in a draw against Israeli club Hapoel Be’er Sheva in 2016, the club was fined by UEFA for displaying “illicit banners”.
The wider fan base turned to a fundraising campaign; not to pay the fine, but to support charities in Palestine.
More than 175,000 pounds ($214,000) was raised, which helped fund the formation of Aida Celtic, a football team in the Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank. The connections established then have solidified over the next seven years, with regular exchange visits carried out as part of a deeper education of fans on the Palestinian issue.
Indeed, although members of the Celtic committee may have shifted uncomfortably in their seats upon seeing the Palestinian flags unfurled last Wednesday, the intended recipients of the gesture, the people of Gaza, welcomed it warmly.
“We thank Celtic supporters for this stance and for their continued solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza,” Hazem Tabash, the director of Benn’a Sports Club in Gaza, told Al Jazeera, who saw the footage online despite Israel’s communication blackouts and the generalization of the media. bombings in the besieged territory.
Footballers from the Benn’a Youth Center have already played in Celtic’s green and white hoops.
But its land is currently desolate, even destroyed. Located near the border fence in the eastern Gaza Strip, all staff and volunteers were forced to flee when Israeli bombardment began on October 7, after Hamas launched deadly attacks in Israel that killed 1,405 people, most of whom were Israeli civilians.
Israel’s retaliation killed at least 9,061 people, including 3,760 children.
“(The supporters’) actions are important to raise awareness in Western countries where governments fully support Israel to continue its crimes against Palestinians in Gaza,” Tabash said of the exhibition at Celtic Park. “They are also helping us Palestinians on the ground, giving us hope that we are not alone.
“I call on all supporters who believe in justice and freedom to follow in the footsteps of Celtic supporters and I call on your governments to act immediately to end this genocide and put an end to double standards and prejudices when it comes to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. »
Accusations of double standards are not only about how governments act in this area, but also about football authorities. Ukraine enjoyed widespread support in the football world when it was invaded by Russia last year. Indeed, Russian clubs have even been banned from European competitions.
But a very different approach is taken to any show of support for the Palestinians.
“Why are football authorities uncomfortable with football fans expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people? said David Webber, a senior research fellow at Solent University who specializes in football and politics.
“UEFA and FIFA were quick to exclude Russia from international and club competitions. But we do not see the same treatment given to Israel. Does it simply come down to the fact that Palestinians are brown and not white?
“This is part of the attempt to neutralize football as a product, but it robs the game of its authenticity. The values of supporters are important and inseparable from the clubs they support. Even if clubs wish to suppress them, these values are not left at the turnstile.
The Green Brigade, meanwhile, told Al Jazeera that it intended to stick to its motto: Until the last rebel.
“The political class likes to tell working-class people that they don’t know what they’re talking about or that they can’t have an opinion on certain issues,” they said.
“We are a proudly politically conscious group. We will not be dictated to by anyone.”
