Ireland’s game interrupted twice by Gaza protests

On Thursday, the UEFA Nations League football match between Ireland and Austria at Dublin's Aviva Stadium was interrupted twice by demonstrations supporting Palestine. During the 19th minute, spectators threw tennis balls adorned with Palestinian flag stickers onto the field, causing a brief halt in play. In the 35th minute, a man ran onto the pitch while waving a Palestinian flag, again interrupting the match. Both interruptions came to an end within minutes, and the game concluded with a 2-2 draw.

These disruptions follow the controversy surrounding Ireland's previous Nations League match against Israel. After extensive debate over a boycott in protest of the war in Gaza, the Irish players ultimately decided to play the match in Hungary, held in a nearly empty stadium. The Irish team wore black armbands, and captains from both sides did not shake hands or exchange pennants before kickoff. The return match is set for Sunday in Serbia, as the Irish Football Association deemed an Irish-hosted game too sensitive.

Around 200 protesters gathered outside the Dublin Arena on Thursday evening as part of a campaign called "Stop the Game," expressing their objection to the two upcoming matches against Israel. Joanne Doyle, a 56-year-old primary school teacher, and Mark Coomey, a 26-year-old engineer, were among the demonstrators who spoke out against these matches, stating that they viewed them as a form of "sports-washing" a "genocide."

Doyle emphasized that Ireland should not be "playing ball with genocide," while Coomey called out Ireland, Spain, and Norway for recognizing a Palestinian state in 2024 and repeatedly criticizing Israel for its role in the Gaza conflict.