Celtic fans protest Israeli attacks on Gaza, Lebanon in Champions League

By Serdal Kalayci

ISTANBUL (AA) - Scottish football club Celtic fans continued their anti-Israel protests during a Tuesday UEFA Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund in Germany.

Known for their support to Palestine, Celtic fans at the Borussia Dortmund Stadium showed Palestinian and Lebanese flags to protest the Israeli attacks on Gaza and Lebanon.

Nuri Sahin's Borussia Dortmund hammered Celtic 7-1 at home as German forward Karim Adeyemi scored a hat-trick in the first half.

In 2023, UEFA, European football's governing body, fined Celtic a total of €29,000 ($31,582) over a number of incidents, including the actions of the Green Brigade fans group, which was banned by the Scottish club from attending its away matches and has remained insistent on showing their support for Palestine by displaying its flag at several matches.

Then Celtic lifted the ban on the Green Brigade in the same season.

Formed in 2006, the Green Brigade is Celtic's ultras group that occupies the north curve of the Celtic Park, and it organizes tifos for major matches and shows solidarity with Palestine.

"They can oppress you, they can imprison you, but they will never break your spirit. Gaza, Jenin, Tulkarm, Nablus. You’ll never walk alone," said the Celtic fans' banners on display in a previous Champions League match against Slovakia's Slovan Bratislava at Glasgow's Celtic Park.

Brendan Rodgers' men beat Slovan Bratislava 5-1 in their Champions League opener on Sept. 18.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last Oct. 7, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

More than 41,600 people have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 96,400 others injured, according to local health authorities.

Israel has also launched massive airstrikes since Sept. 23 against what it calls Hezbollah targets across Lebanon that have killed more than 1,000 victims and injured over 2,950, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

*Writing by Selcuk Bugra Gokalp​​​​​​​