Pro-Palestine protests coincide with Italy vs. Israel match in World Cup qualifiers

Thousands of pro-Palestine demonstrators took to the streets today, Tuesday, in the city of Udine in northern Italy, hours before the Italy vs. Israel match in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, amid extensive security measures due to fears of violent groups infiltrating the march.

The match is scheduled to take place at 20:45 local time (18:45 GMT) at the Friuli Stadium, while authorities anticipated up to ten thousand demonstrators participating in the march that traversed the city center.


Calls to exclude Israel from competitions

The Palestine - Udine committee organizing the march called on FIFA to exclude Israel from all international tournaments, accusing the Israeli team of representing "occupation policies" in the Palestinian territories.

Despite the recent ceasefire agreement between Benjamin Netanyahu's government and Hamas, which included a prisoner exchange and the release of detainees, the organizers insisted on proceeding with the demonstration.

"The truce does not mean justice"

Demonstrator Andrea Chiampi, who came from Venice to participate, stated that he preferred to take to the streets instead of attending the match: "The truce is good because it stops the killing, but it does not answer the most important question: Where is the voice of the Palestinian people in these agreements?"

Unprecedented security measures

For its part, local authorities announced that only about 9,000 tickets had been sold out of 16,000 available seats in the stadium, amid tense atmospheres and heavy security presence. The measures included closing some roads and imposing restrictions on parking, as well as placing concrete barriers around the stadium to create secure zones. The serving of drinks in glass or metal containers was also prohibited, and cafes were asked to remove outdoor tables and chairs throughout the day.

Concerns among local residents

Several residents of Udine expressed their dissatisfaction with the heavy security atmosphere that overshadowed their usually quiet city.