(14/11) a week after the incidents in Amsterdam where Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were attacked.
Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez said 4,000 officers would be on patrol, 2,500 at the Stade de France in the northern suburbs of Paris and the rest on public transport and inside the capital. An additional 1,600 private security guards will be on duty at the stadium and a elite anti-terrorist police unit will protect the visiting Israeli team.
“It’s a high-stakes race [λόγω] of an extremely tense geopolitical context,” said Mr. Nuñez. “We will not allow any attempt to disrupt public order.”
The UEFA Nations League competition is under intense scrutiny following the violence that erupted in last Thursday’s match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Netherlandsa. The stadium, which holds 80,000, will only be a quarter full. Following advice from the Israeli government, no more than 100 Israeli fans are expected to travel to Paris, although more Israeli fans may go to the match
Politicians across Europe denounced the “return of anti-Semitism” after Israeli fans were chased through the streets of Amsterdam. Maccabi fans themselves engaged in vandalism, tearing down a Palestinian flag, attacking taxis and shouting anti-Arab slogans, according to city authorities. They were then targeted by “small groups of rioters … on foot, scooter or car,” the city said in a 12-page report.
Violence between Israel and its neighbors in the Middle East risks spreading to Europe, notes the BBC. OR France, Belgium and the Netherlands have large Muslim populations of North African origin and live alongside much smaller Jewish populations, who primarily identify strongly with Israel.
To express his solidarity with the Jews of Europe after Amsterdam, French President Emmanuel Macron said he would attend the match on Thursday, which starts at 20:45 (local time) He will be joined by Prime Minister Michel Barnier as well as former presidents Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy.
