During a basketball match between Israel’s Hapoel Holon and France’s Nanterre 92, a group of Palestinian flag-waving agitators stormed the court, causing chaos in the stands.
The chaos occurred during the third quarter of a FIBA Basketball Champions League match in Nanterre, France.
About 10 people rushed onto the pitch waving Palestinian flags, angering hundreds of spectators from the French Jewish community who were cheering for the Israeli team.
Some anti-Israel agitators jumped onto the stands and were quickly arrested by security. A group on the pro-Israel side began chanting nationalist slogans.
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An anti-Israel agitator stormed a basketball court waving a Palestinian flag. (Enzo Rabui via Storyful)
Minutes later, police detained the disruptor and the game resumed. Security was heightened for the remainder of the game, including police officers equipped with shields, to separate members of the Jewish community from other fans.
Play was briefly paused before resuming with additional safety measures. (Enzo Rabui via Storyful)
The Department of Expatriate Affairs issued warnings about the match earlier in the day, including early indications that groups expected to gather near the stadium were planning protests. These include the pro-Palestinian organization “European Palestine” and the far-left party “French Busoumis”.
Hundreds of people from France’s Jewish community watched the game. (Enzo Rabui via Storyful)
Nanterre mayor Raphael Adam banned fans from attending games earlier this week to “prevent public disorder”, but a court on Wednesday morning overturned that decision.
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Hapoel Holon lost to Nanterre 87-77. However, the Israeli team still advanced to the round of 16 as the Bosnian team Igo Kea lost to the German team Würzburg. Yotam Hanochi was the leading scorer with 18 points from Guy Goodes, while Paul Lacombe from the other side scored 23 points.
