Security Throws Banned Palestinian Flag In Trash Ahead Of Real Madrid Champions League Match

One fan lost his Palestinian flag by way of trash can.

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Security personnel at the entrance of the Bernabeu did not allow any fans to enter the historic stadium with Palestinian flags. One fan in particular, who was wearing the flag, had it taken from them before a security guard tossed it into a trash can.

Real Madrid played host to French club Marseille in a league phase Champions League match on Tuesday in Spain. As fans entered the grounds, two separate videos were taken of Palestinian flags being confiscated.

UEFA, the governing body of the Champions League, has a policy banning political symbols – including banners, flags, or ideological messaging – inside competition venues. The Palestinian flag certainly falls under those categories.

Political symbols, flags, and messages still find their way into Champions League matches on some occasions, and while UEFA can and has sanctioned clubs for not enforcing the policy, it can be selective in that process. 

French club Paris St Germain fans unfurled a 'Free Palestine' banner before kick-off in a Champions League home match against Atletico Madrid in November 2024. The club avoided any punishment, with UEFA stating "there will be no disciplinary case because the banner that was unfurled cannot be in this case considered provocative or insulting," according to Reuters. 

The instance at Paris St Germain took place eight days before the French national team played Israel in a Nations League match in Paris.

In 2023, Scottish club Celtic was fined 17,500 euros ($18,870) after supporters waved Palestinian flags during a Champions League match.

Pro-Palestinian protests made headlines this past weekend after disrupting the Spanish Vuelta cycling race.

According to the Associated Press, protesters demanded that team Israel Premier Tech be expelled from the Grand Tour event, threw barriers onto the road, and clashed with police on Sunday to keep the final stage from being completed as originally scheduled.

Real Madrid ultimately defeated Marseille 2-1 on Tuesday.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee, but wants it on the record that he does not bleed orange. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets, including BroBible, SB Nation, and The Spun. Mark also wrote for the Chicago Cubs' Double-A affiliate in 2016, the year the curse was broken. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.