A group of Celtics supporters called the Green Brigade has charged that the club’s board is disgraceful for “trying to censor and sanction Palestinian solidarity.”
Season tickets for fans have been revoked due to what the team called a “serious escalation” in inappropriate behaviour.
It follows the Green Brigade’s recent defiance of Celtic’s requests that they refrain from bringing Palestinian flags to games.
The team maintains that a number of incidents led to the stadium ban.
Among them are the frequent use of fireworks and “violent and intimidating behaviour” directed at stewards during an away game.
However, the Green Brigade claims that its members, who are already prohibited from going to Celtic away games, are being unjustly punished by means of the “flimsy litany of allegations”.
The group released a statement in which it stated: “There is no denying that the penalties levied against individuals connected to the Green Brigade stem from the group’s unwavering support for Palestine.
“The sanctions applied, most notably collective bans, are evidently unfair; bereft of policy, process and communications with individuals wrongfully being punished before receiving any allegation, any evidence, nor right of defence.”
It continues: “We categorically deny sinister and defamatory allegations of ‘breaking in ‘ and ‘intimidating, threatening and abusive behaviour towards staff’.”
For major games, the Green Brigade, which owns a portion of Celtic Park’s north curve, typically organises a tifo, which is a choreographed display featuring a large banner or image.
Prior to Spanish team Atletico Madrid’s Champions League match on Wednesday, the group held up banners and distributed Palestinian flags.
In addition to the area where the Green Brigade was positioned, other sections of the stadium also had the flags flying.
It is widely anticipated that Celtic will be fined by Uefa for the flags.
The Premiership match against St Mirren on Wednesday night is the first game that will be impacted by the ban, which the club has defended in its decision to remove season tickets from Green Brigade members.
