Khaberni - Thousands of protesters supporting the Palestinians marched on Tuesday in the city of Udine in northern Italy ahead of their national team's match against Israel in the World Cup qualifiers.
However, they ended their mostly peaceful protest with clashes with the police.
Initial police estimates indicate that the march was attended by more than five thousand people who made their way through the city center since Tuesday afternoon, before the match kicked off at the Friuli Stadium at 20:45 (1845 GMT).
Italy managed to win against Israel with a score of 3-0 in the match.
The "Committee for Palestine-Udine," the organizer of the march, called on the International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) to ban Israel from all competitions, stating that the team supports "occupational policies" in the Palestinian territories.
The demonstrators carried an 18-meter-long Palestinian flag and a large red banner with the slogan of the protest "Use the red card against Israel". There was also a metal statue symbolizing justice, holding a scale in one hand and a red card in the other.
Protester Valentina Bianchi said, "There is a ceasefire, not peace. And as I wrote on my banner, no peace without justice."
At the end of the march, some demonstrators threw firecrackers and crowd-control barriers at the security forces, who responded with water cannons and tear gas.
The Italian public broadcasting authority (RAI) reported that one of its journalists was injured after being hit by a stone and was taken to the hospital.
The Italian news agency (ANSA) reported that another journalist was injured in the clashes and that some police officers also received treatment.
Alberto Felice De Toni, the mayor of Udine, said, "What happened tonight is unacceptable. Our city strongly condemns the acts of violence that occurred in the streets at the end of the demonstration."
The organizers insisted on proceeding with the protest even after the approval of a ceasefire agreement by the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas, which included the release of remaining living Israelis and the return of Palestinian prisoners to their homes.
Security Measures
The Italian Football Federation said it sold just over nine thousand tickets for the match against Israel, far less than the reduced attendance number of sixteen thousand.
The local authorities imposed a set of restrictions including road closures, parking limitations, and erected concrete barriers around the stadium to create security zones.
The authorities banned the serving of food and drinks in glass, ceramic, or tin containers on the day of the match.
Some shop owners decided to keep their doors closed all day, while others closed only in the afternoon as the protest began.
Residents expressed their displeasure with the heightened security atmosphere in the usually quiet city.
Paolo Lecce, a resident of the city, said, "I saw helicopters flying at a low altitude. I believe such a deployment of forces for a football game should never happen."
