1,000 police officers, army, helicopters, drones, water cannons: How Italy dealt with Pro-Palestinian activists before World Cup qualifier

Italy secured a 3-0 victory against Israel in their 2026 World Cup qualifier in Udine on Tuesday, amid protests and clashes between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and police. Around 10,000 protesters marched through the city, with some engaging in disorder despite Monday's Gaza ceasefire deal and a hostage-prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas.Over 1,000 police officers and army personnel were deployed, with helicopters and drones monitoring the demonstration. The protest was kept several kilometers away from the Bluenergy Stadium hosting the Group I fixture."It's pointless hiding it, today was not easy, neither for us nor for you. There were many days in which we thought that there might be the possibility that we might not even play the match. We came here knowing it wouldn't be a party atmosphere and we felt that.

I hope that in the future things will be a bit calmer. I think it will be, I don't know what other problems could come out," Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso told journalists after the match.Security checkpoints were established around the stadium, with spectators passing through concrete barriers and metal detectors to watch the crucial match in Italy's bid to qualify for their first World Cup since 2014.The initially peaceful march began at 1800 local time, featuring drumming and sound systems accompanying dancers of all ages waving Palestinian flags and banners reading "show Israel the red card."

"There's no more bombs and that makes us happy, but the problem with this peace plan is that there is no talk of a Palestinian state. There's no talk of self-determination, no talk about the West Bank nor of the fate of Gaza... it seems like Gaza will be governed by Tony Blair and Donald Trump, without any involvement from the Palestinians. We shouldn't be playing this match because a team that represents a nation that has committed a genocide is playing," said Amer Hasan, a 61-year-old Palestinian representative from the West Bank.The march was organised by Palestinian communities in Veneto and Fruili-Venezia Giulia regions, along with four other associations, welcoming over 340 activist groups from across Italy.Protesters called for FIFA to exclude Israel from international competition, similar to Russia's exclusion following the Ukraine invasion in February 2022. They chanted slogans including "Free Palestine" and "Genocidal Israel."The death toll in the Gaza Strip has reached 67,869 Palestinians since Israel's military offensive began following Hamas's cross-border assault on October 7, 2023.Italian football federation's refusal to boycott matches with Israel has sparked anger, contrasting with Norway's Football Association's stance calling for sanctions against Israel.

"The Norwegian FA has begun taking a position against the presence of Israeli teams, there's a totally different type of behavior across the board compared to what you see here," said Carlina, an activist from Udine Committee For Palestine.The match proceeded with a small crowd of 10,000, where Italian fans booed the Israeli national anthem before being overwhelmed by applause.Mateo Retegui scored twice for Italy, first from a penalty in first-half stoppage time and again with a curling finish in the 74th minute. Gianluca Mancini added a third goal late in the match.The victory secured at least second place and a play-off spot for Italy in their group. Norway leads Italy by three points with a superior goal difference and two matches remaining, with only the top spot offering automatic qualification for next summer's finals in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.The protest ended with police using water cannon and tear gas on some marchers who threw projectiles at officers.