Shocking footage shows the moment violent scenes broke out in Paris tonight – as witnesses accuse a group of Israeli football fans of launching an attack on French supporters during their high security match.
A mobile phone recording shows the moment fans fled their seats as the chaos erupted in the Stade de France, which onlookers have accused the away side’s fans of starting.
Witnesses say they saw young men wearing masks and balaclavas with blue Star of David flags on their backs apparently rampaging across seats, and then punching victims.
A heavy security presence was put in place by French officials tonight to prevent a repeat of the violence seen last week when Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv played in Amsterdam.
However, the atmosphere inside the ground was still incredibly tense and whistles could be heard during the Israeli national anthem – which is said to have annoyed the visiting supporters.
At one point, it is claimed two Palestinian flags were brandished by home supporters, despite all flags being banned from the ground except the French tricolours and the Israeli Star of Davids.
Another image taken from inside the stadium appears to shows a group of Israel supporters crowding round a France fan who is lying on the ground, and believed to be badly injured.
‘France supporters retreated in the face of an attack by several dozen Israeli supporters,’ said a spectator at the scene, who asked to be referred to as Etienne.
Witnesses say they saw young men with blue Star of David flags on their backs apparently rampaging across seats, and then punching victims
Mobile phone footage shows fans in the Stade de France fleeing their seats after a fight was reported to have taken place in the first half
A mobile phone recording shows the moment chaos erupted in the Stade de France, which onlookers have accused the away side’s fans of starting
Loud boos can be heard as people rush away from the ugly scenes
One man, dressed in a beanie, can be seen standing on one of the seats and shouting aggressively to people nearby
‘We were in an area of the ground occupied by both sets of supporters, and there was a lot of shouting between the two sides – some of it referring to the killing in Gaza.
‘The Israeli fans became very angry and charged towards us, throwing punches at anyone they caught,’ said Etienne.
Another witness said he saw a French fan fall to the ground, before being surrounded by a group of Israel fans, who punched and kicked him repeatedly.
Stewards eventually intervened, setting up a double security cordon between the two sets of fans.
There were also images taken of at least one man wearing an Israeli Defence Force (IDF) T-shirt.
One Israel fan, who asked not to be named, said he was in Paris on an organised visit, and had recently been fighting with the IDF in Lebanon.
‘I’ve come along to the game to the enjoy the football, and am sorry there is so much tension between the two sets of supporters.
‘I have no interest in getting involved in fighting in France – there’s plenty going on back home.’
SAS-style special forces and up to 6500 other security agents are on duty at the Stade de France
Former President’s of France Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy and French President Emmanuel Macron in the stands for Thursday’s game
The man – who was aged 37 and from Tel Aviv – was not involved in any fighting, and left the game early, to return to his hotel in central Paris.
SAS-style special forces and up to 6500 other security agents were on duty for tonight’s game, despite organisers struggling to sell tickets for the Nations League game, with less than 13,000 seats reserved.
This meant there was one police officer for every two football fans in attendance.
Before the game, Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez said security at the Paris game was accordingly of extreme concern.
‘There’s a context, tensions that make that match a high-risk event for us,’ he said.
Israeli security forces, including agents from the Mossad intelligence agency, were also inside the stadium tonight, the French authorities confirmed.
French President Emmanuel Macron and his prime minister, Michel Barnier, attended the match, despite calls for it to be played in a neutral country.
The elite RAID tactical unit has been deployed following the violent scenes seen last week in Amsterdam.
Pro-Palestinian protestors marched outside the ground before the game
Organisers have struggled to sell tickets for the Nations League game, with less than 13,000 seats reserved
Fights connected to the ongoing conflict in Palestine and Lebanon broke out, with 52 Dutch nationals and 10 Israelis arrested for public order offences.
Local gang members targeted visiting supporters in what were described by the authorities as ‘anti-Semitic attacks’.
Racist chanting was also heard from the Tel Aviv fans, including threats to kill Arabs and references to the massacre of children in Gaza.
Concerns were raised about tonight’s game after thousands of pro-Palestinians marched on Wednesday against a controversial pro-Israel gala in central Paris.
The ‘Israel is Forever’ gala was originally set to be attended by Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, who currently lives in a settlement considered illegal under international law.
Mr Smotrich finally pulled out, following threats that an arrest warrant would be waiting for him in France.
There is one police officer for every two football fans at Thursday night’s game (pictured: A riot police officer stands outside the Stade de France stadium)
The elite RAID tactical unit has been deployed following violence last week when Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv played in Amsterdam (pictured)
The Israel team arrived in Paris earlier this week and has been staying and training at secret locations on the outskirts of Paris.
There was another pro-Palestinian demonstration outside the Front Populaire metro station in Saint-Denis, a kilometre away from the stadium, which attracted a few hundred people and went off peacefully.
Ahead of tonight’s game, French head coach Didier Deschamps said his players were aware of the situation, adding: ‘Obviously none of us within the team can be insensitive to such a heavy context.
‘It impacts the amount of supporters present tomorrow and everything that goes with it.’
