PARIS — Israel and France squared off in a soccer match at Paris’ Stade de France on Thursday night as hundreds of protesters gathered nearby amid heightened tensions in Europe over Israel’s deadly assault on the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.
Thousands of police officers were deployed across Paris, seeking to avoid a repeat of last week’s violence in Amsterdam involving locals and Israeli fans.
In the stadium, just a trickle of fans turned out for the match, which ended in a 0-0 draw after 90 minutes. There were minor scuffles in the stands and some booed the Israeli anthem, Reuters reported.
Soccer fans filed into the Stade de France amid a heavy police presence. The process appeared orderly, though some expressed nervousness.
Theo Petit, 23, who came out to support France, said he was invited to the game by a friend.
“We are a little stressed about coming here, but it’s a game, a football game,” said Petit, who is studying to become a dietitian. “We love football, so we decided together to not be frightened by the context of this match.”
