Scotland’s Glasgow There isn’t much more to enhance the atmosphere at Celtic Park on European nights—the electricity in the air could light up Glasgow’s skyline multiple times.
Pre-match excitement wasn’t limited to the 60,000 Celtic supporters who packed the storied arena for the Champions League match against Atletico Madrid last Wednesday night.
As the game got closer, the stadium was covered in Palestinian flags, with every stand flying the national colours of Palestine as a sign of support for the people being attacked by Israel in Gaza.
A few days prior, television networks were accused of deliberately avoiding the display when Palestinian flags were flown by Celtic fans during a domestic away game. This time, they didn’t have that choice. The exhibit instantly went viral on social media, being shared millions of times worldwide.
In both literal and metaphorical sense, the leading flag bearers are the Green Brigade, a group of “ultras” founded in 2006 who are well-known for their Irish Republicanism and unwavering support for the Palestinian cause.
Although the position has garnered a lot of support, it frequently puts them at odds with the club’s board, which leans more conservative politically than the supporters.
The club issued a statement requesting “that banners, flags, and symbols relating to the conflict and those countries involved in it are not displayed at Celtic Park at this time” in an attempt to discourage supporters from responding to the Green Brigade’s call to show support for Palestine at the Atletico Madrid game out of concern for penalties from football’s governing bodies.
