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A security guard removed a fan from the field at Luton Town’s game against Liverpool on Sunday for entering with a Palestine flag shortly after the first goal was scored.
The Premier League decided to prohibit the use of flags and banners showing support for Israel and Palestine due to the ongoing conflict between the two countries. Clubs were instructed not to allow these displays inside stadiums several weeks ago.
Shortly after Tatith Chong scored the first goal in a 1-1 tie, a person breached the barriers and made their way towards the center of the field, waving a flag.
He was promptly approached by the staff and ejected from the field, while receiving boos from the 11,000 person crowd.
Prior to the game, a small group of individuals outside Luton train station were expressing their support for Palestine, a region that has seen over 9,500 fatalities in the last month.
During the earlier part of the game, Luton supporters sang songs directed towards Liverpool fans with the phrase “always the victims”, which made reference to past stadium disasters in the 1980s. These types of chants have been prohibited by football governing bodies and were deemed “completely unacceptable” at the beginning of the current season.
After the game, Rob Edwards stated that he and the club do not support the chanting that took place. However, he did not hear it during the match and did not want to make any statements until he had a chance to look into what happened.
The manager of Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp, also stated that he was not aware of the chanting during the match, but he did express disappointment towards those who participated in it.
Source: independent.co.uk
