Norwegian police dispersed a group of pro-Palestinian protesters and carried out several arrests this Saturday (11) in Oslo, on the occasion of the Norway x Israel match, in the European Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
Played under strong police protection — it was not difficult to predict demonstrations linked to the Israel-Hamas war, despite the recent ceasefire agreement —, the match, won 5-0 by Norway, was marked by a peaceful demonstration that brought together hundreds of people and by actions in support of Palestine at the Ullevaal stadium before the opening whistle.
Later, police in riot gear dispersed dozens of protesters, some with their faces covered, who remained near the stadium with tear gas. Agents subsequently made several arrests.
Before the match, the protesters had unfurled a giant Palestinian flag and a huge banner reading: “Let the children live.” On the other side, dozens of Israeli fans waved their country’s flags with a sign: “Let the ball talk.”
During the Israeli anthem, boos were heard. A man wearing a “Free Palestine” T-shirt briefly invaded the field during the match before being restrained.
With kufiyas (the traditional Palestinian scarf) around their necks and waving Palestinian flags, protesters had gathered hours earlier in the center of the Norwegian capital before marching to the Ullevaal stadium, in an atmosphere of calm despite the use of flares.
“The message we want to send today is that we are showing the red card against Israel, against apartheid and against genocide”, declared Line Khateeb, president of the Norwegian Committee for Palestine, one of the organizations promoting the mobilization.
“We refuse to allow football to be used to clean up war crimes, as is the case today with Israel’s participation in the World Cup qualifying games,” he added.
At the demonstration, posters were displayed with messages such as “exclude Israel from international football”, “red card for Israel” and “this is a genocide, not a war”.
Income for Doctors Without Borders
The organizers decided to maintain the demonstration despite the ceasefire agreement in Gaza reached on Thursday (9) between Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas.
“This doesn’t end the occupation. It doesn’t mean the West Bank is free. It doesn’t mean Palestine is free. We need to keep putting pressure on and impose sanctions on Israel to hold them accountable so Palestine can truly be free,” Khateeb insisted.
The president of the Norwegian Football Association, Lise Klaveness, recently indicated that she was working “to have Israel sanctioned.” “Personally, I believe that if Russia is excluded, Israel should be excluded as well,” he said.
A few days after the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Army in February 2022, UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) and FIFA (International Football Federation) jointly excluded the Russian national team and clubs from all international competitions, a sanction that is still in force.
Box office revenue from the Norway v Israel match will be donated to Doctors Without Borders, the Norwegian Football Association has announced.
The 5-0 victory left Norway comfortably at the top of Group I, with 18 points from six games, very close to qualifying for the World Cup. Second in the group is Italy, with 12 points in five games. Israel appears in third, with nine points from six games.
The first position gives a direct place in the 2026 World Cup. The second place qualifies for the repechage.
