One supporter was tackled by security and escorted from the pitch during Luton Town’s match against Liverpool on Sunday, after running on with a Palestine flag just after the game’s opening goal was scored.
The Premier League opted to ban displays of support through flags and banners for both Israel and Palestine amid the ongoing war between the former nation and Hamas, with clubs told not to allow them inside stadiums several weeks ago.
However, minutes after Tatith Chong had slid in the opener in an eventual 1-1 draw between the sides, one man jumped the hoardings between stewards and ran towards the centre circle, holding his flag aloft.
He was quickly accosted by staff and removed from the pitch, amid jeers from the 11,000 capacity crowd.
Before the match, a small gathering of people outside Luton train station were also chanting in support of Palestine, where more than 9,500 people have been killed in the past month.
Earlier in the match, Luton fans had aimed “always the victims” songs toward Liverpool fans, referencing 1980s stadium disasters - which is also banned by footballing authorities who labelled such chants “totally unacceptable” at the start of the season.
At the end of the match, Rob Edwards said he and the club “don’t condone” such chanting, but hadn’t heard it during the match and, as such, did not want to “say the wrong thing” until he’d had a chance to investigate what had occurred.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp similarly said he hadn’t heard the chanting during the game but added “shame on everybody who sang it”.
