Celtic fans at risk of prosecution for waving Palestinian flags at Parkhead tonight.

[AgentProvocateur]

Celtic are playing Hapoel Be'er Sheva from Israel tonight, and fans are waving Palestinian flags. According to the Record (not the most reliable source) the club is in danger of a big fine from UEFA as it's considered a political protest and not allowed. But the Herald mentions prosecuting individual fans, which seems ridiculous. What crime are they committing?

The potential fines are a UEFA thing, the potential individual arrests are a Scottish law thing.

True. Maybe for breach of the peace etc. This is being tweeted..
Decent debate gets lost when stuff like this goes viral.

But how can you arrest someone for holding a flag?

"Though carrying the flag of a foreign nation would not be considered in breach of the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications Act (Scotland) 2012, the nature of Celtic’s opponents could mean the flag waving will be interpreted as “stirring up hatred against a group of persons based on their membership (or presumed membership) of a group defined by reference to a thing mentioned in subsection (4)” which includes “nationality” and “ethnic or national origins”."

www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/celtic/celtic-fans-could-be-arrested-if-they-wave-palestine-flags-1-4204614

Though it's probably just the Scotsman shit-stirring

So...no arrests have actually been made, but there is a possibility?

I think it is technically possible, but vanishingly unlikely to happen.

I don't think it's right because they are just doing it to un-nerve the other team, not as genuine political protest. How many Celtic fans are genuinely involved in Palestinian human rights organizations ? Very few I'd imagine. Chances are more parents/siblings of the Israeli soccer players would be involved with human rights organizations. Illegal land grabs and dispossession are very relevant to those of Scots and Irish descent, granted, but I don't think this is the right forum at all to address those issues.

I am sorry but these guys are past masters at stirring up hatred and aggression. I totally disbelieve that the Celtic fans give a flying fuck about Palestinians, In fact they are probably doing it because they do not like Jews.
I have no wish to belittle the suffering of the Palestinian people.

I agree that this is about shit stirring, rather than giving a shit about the plight of the Palestinians. In certain areas of NI, Protestant areas fly the Israeli flag along side the UK and Red hand of Ulster, and Catholic areas fly the Palestinian flags beside the Irish flag. It's petty sectarian bigotry, and fuck all to do with the poor Palestinians.

why are they demanding humanrights from football players? Why is the team and its reporters held responsible for what you see as reprehensible acts of their government?

Because it will be televised in Israel and a protest outside the embassy won't. It lets Palestinians know they are not invisible to the world and Israel know the world is watching and doesn't like it.

The way the world is effectively bullied into silence about the horrors of Palestine really bothers me.

I read that the median lifespan is fourteen. Fourteen

Special agent - sorry, but that is b***s. It's just conceivable the median age may be 14, but that just reflects the high birth rate. The life expectancy in the West Bank is pretty good compared to Palestine's neighbours, who of course aren't under occupation.

special agent - do you usually believe everything you read? if so, I've got a proposition for you involving a Nigerian bank account, a rich heiress, and some minor transaction fees that need to be paid first.

According to Wikipedia Palestinian life expectancy is 73 years, Israeli 81 years.

Palestinians have seen the support shown at the match. The supporters also organised a crowd fund to match the expected UEFA fine - last I saw was over 30,000 in 24 hrs which will go to Palestinian charities - so not just a stunt to unnerve the opposing team

Sadly i agree with glasto.