Pro-Palestine Protests Halt Ireland-Austria Match Twice

A UEFA Nations League football match between Ireland and Austria in Dublin was halted yesterday following pro-Palestinian protests.

In the 35th minute, a man carrying a Palestinian flag invaded the pitch, causing the match to be briefly suspended again.

These events come in the wake of controversy surrounding Ireland’s Nations League match against Israel on Sunday.

After lengthy discussions about boycotting the game in protest of the war in Gaza, Irish players ultimately decided to play the fixture, which was held in Hungary on neutral ground with nearly empty stands.

Ireland’s players wore black armbands during the match, which they won 3-0. The two team captains did not shake hands, and the national flags were not exchanged before kickoff.

The return leg is scheduled for Sunday, again on neutral ground in Serbia, after the Football Association of Ireland deemed hosting the match in Ireland to be highly sensitive.

Joan Doyle, a 56-year-old primary school teacher who was among the protesters, said: “I strongly oppose playing these two matches against Israel, as it essentially means using sport to whitewash genocide. Sport is political. People have repeatedly boycotted sporting events.”

Mark Cummins, a 26-year-old engineer, said: “Ireland should not cooperate with genocide. We have already played against Israel, which is committing genocide, and we have crossed the Palestinian call for a boycott.”

Dublin officially recognized the State of Palestine in 2024, alongside Spain and Norway, and has repeatedly criticized Israel during the war in Gaza.