Europe 1 with AFP
modified to
7:30 p.m., October 25, 2022
A reinforced security system of “800 police and gendarmes” is planned for Tuesday by the Paris police headquarters for the Champions League match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and the Israelis of Maccabi Haifa, at the Parc des Princes. In a note from the Paris police headquarters, which AFP was able to consult, the security services explain that “this meeting presents high risks of disturbing public order” for several reasons.
First, because the “supporters of the Ultras Paris collective will be present in large numbers” and could take advantage of the match to show “their support for the Palestinian cause”. Then because “ultra-Zionist militants, including some close to the former Jewish Defense League” could also be there to “protect Israeli supporters”.
“Security Risk”
The security services also raise the possibility that “Parisian risk elements” are near the Parc des Princes to “attack Israeli supporters”. The note further mentions that “according to the Israeli Embassy, ​​approximately 2,000 Maccabi Haifa supporters not from Israel” are “likely to have purchased seats in the general public stands”.
However, “their isolation in the midst of Parisian supporters could create security risks, for themselves or for those around them if they did not respect neutral behavior (no jersey / no flags / no noisy demonstration of support for received team)”. In this context, it was planned to mobilize “1,400 stewards”, to constitute “a security reserve of 350 places in the visitors’ stand in order to be able to relocate Maccabi Haifa supporters isolated in the general public stands”.
Prohibited “distinctive signs”
The gauge of the visitors’ stand has been reduced to “1,650 places for Maccabi supporters against 2,000” usually, is it detailed in the note. According to UEFA regulations, each club is required to reserve at least 5% of its stadium capacity exclusively for the use of the visiting club’s supporters. To control the flow of Israeli supporters whose arrival in France would not be supervised, “ticket purchases from IP addresses in Israel have been blocked”.
During a meeting with the prefect of police of Paris, the Israeli embassy undertook to relay the security instructions for any supporter coming from Israel: no flag or colors of the Maccabi club in transport , around the stadium and in the stadium, excluding the visitors’ stand.
On its online ticket office, PSG also publishes a warning to ticket buyers for this meeting against Haifa, listing the “distinctive signs” prohibited within the grounds of the Parc des Princes, such as the jersey or the flag of the club. opposing team, or flags of nationalities not represented in the Paris squad. “Anyone presenting with one of the attributes mentioned above is liable to exclusion from the stadium”, warns the club.