Celtic Fans Wave Palestine Flag at Champions League Match After Being Told Not by Team

Fans of Scotland's Celtic Football Club waved Palestinian flags in the stands during their team’s UEFA Champions League match against Atletico Madrid on Thursday in support amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

The fans who waved the flag defied directives by the club not to during the match, which was issued in a pre-game statement.

“We ask that banners, flags and symbols relating to the conflict and those countries involved in it are not displayed at Celtic Park at this time,” the club said in a statement before the match. The clubs also said that players and coaching staff from both sides would wear black armbands "as a show of respect and support for all those affected by the conflict".

Despite the orders, a large Palestine flag was seen in the lower half of the standing section before kick-off and about two dozen slightly smaller flags were flown in the adjacent section before the teams came onto the field. Thousands of smaller flags were seen around the stands when the teams came out.

The display of support for Palestine was orchestrated by the Celtic fan group "Green Brigade" prior to the match

"We respect the right of all fans who wish not to participate in such an action, however equally we ask that the same respect and freedom is afforded to all fans who do," the group said in a YouTube video on Oct. 22.

Thursday was not the first time Green Brigade members have waved the Palestinian the flag at matches. The group is currently suspended from getting away tickets by the club after incidents of waving the flag at Motherwell and Feyenoord.

The group has been flying the Palestinian flag at matches since 2016 when it did so during the club's 5-2 Champions League victory against Israel’s Hapoel Be’er Sheva in Glasgow. The club was fined £9,000 (About $10,900) by UEFA for the incident, as UEFA’s Rule 16.2 states that club's are responsible for fan behavior and disciplinary procedures may occur if a political message is displayed.