Pro-Palestine protest in Italy marred by clashes
In the northern Italian city of Udine, about 10,000 people participated in a pro-Palestine march , which continued without incident for nearly three hours before reaching its final destination. Afterward, about 50 people with their faces covered clashed with Italian police, with officers using water cannons and tear gas to try to disperse them, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday.
It all happened while the Italian and Israeli national teams were playing a qualifying match for the 2026 World Cup, amid tight security measures to prevent possible infiltration by violent groups. The match kicked off at 8:45 PM local time (7:45 PM in mainland Portugal) at the Friuli Stadium, on the northwestern outskirts of the city.
During the game, there were two attempted pitch invasions, first by a man and then by a woman, one of whom was carrying a Palestinian flag. Both were ejected. In the stands, at least one person who raised a Palestinian flag was immediately confronted by police, who had prohibited the entry of symbols alluding to the Palestinian cause into the stadium.
Regarding the demonstration, the newspaper Corriere della Sera reports an increase in tension as night fell, resulting in violent demonstrations. A journalist and two police officers were injured, and at least 20 people were arrested .
Moment of tension and #Udine dove is in corso the #partita Italia-Israele. Alcuni #manifestanti pro pal hanno sollevato transenne per colpire i blindati delle forze dell'ordine che hanno risposto con lancio di lacrimogeni e idranti. #Tg1 pic.twitter.com/AE6aoiycsH
— Tg1 (@Tg1Rai) October 14, 2025
Since early Tuesday, several security measures have been in place in anticipation of the match between the two teams. At the Israeli team's hotel in Udine, supporters were on rooftops. The bus carrying the Israeli players was also escorted to the stadium by 13 police vehicles, including some from the special forces, and several motorcycles.
Furthermore, as described by the Associated Press, the sound of helicopters, as well as drones, monitoring the city has echoed since morning.
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