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Tensions are boiling over in Italy tonight after a World Cup qualifier match between Israel and Italy in Udine.
The town was the setting for a big pro-Palestine demonstration today ahead of the match, and was on high alert.
The match was placed in the best risk category despite a breakthrough ceasefire deal that has paused two years of war in Gaza.
After the march arrived at its final destination, a small group of fifty masked people began clashing with police.
Water cannons were brought out and tear gas was fired in a bid to stop the chaos.
The group was apparently attempting to get past the police cordons to go toward the stadium, which is on the outskirts of the town.
Video footage showed smoke within the air as officers tried to calm the gang, a lot of whom dispersed when the chaos began.
Organisers of the march, the Committee for Palestine-Udine, have rallied for FIFA to ban Israel from all competitions, saying the team supports ‘occupation policies’ within the Palestinian territories.
Before the match even began, snipers were positioned on the hotel where the Israeli team were staying as a security measure.
A number of the Italian army was deployed to assist with security measures.
Italians have been outspoken of their support for Palestine, recently hosting a strike across multiple cities, with port employees getting involved.
Italy’s grassroots unions called for a 24-hour general strike in private and non-private sectors, including public transportation, trains, schools and ports.
Police clashed with protesters as tensions rose in late September. Dockworkers have blocked access roads to ports in a bid to stop the transfer of supplies to Israel.
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