OSLO: Hundreds of people attended a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Oslo on Saturday ahead of Israel’s World Cup qualifier against Norway, chanting “Free Palestine” to protest against Israel’s “genocide,” AFP journalists reported.
Many demonstrators wore Palestinian keffiyeh shawls draped over their shoulders and waved Palestinian flags as they gathered in the city center before walking in a procession to the Ullevaal stadium.
Smoke flares were lit but the atmosphere remained calm.
“The message today is to say we give the red card to Israel, to apartheid, and to genocide,” said Line Khateeb, the head of the Norwegian Committee for Palestine, one of the organizers of the protest.
“We do not accept football being used to whitewash war crimes, as we see today when Israel participates in the World Cup qualification games,” she told AFP.
