Violence from demonstrators at Norway v Israel, Under 19 football match, in Skien.

On X people who were there describe the violence like the pro Palestinian demonstrators were trying to lynch the Israel team.

Anti-Israel protesters stopped moments before lynching the players of the Israel under-19 youth soccer team that was hosted in Norway today. pic.twitter.com/bxx5vXz7nh

— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) March 27, 2024

According to the Jerusalem Post

Anti-Israel Protesters threw rocks and fireworks at police as they attempted to disrupt an Israel-Norway under 19 soccer match in Skien on Tuesday.

Video posted by pro-Palestinian activists showed protesters clashing with police in riot gear. Demonstrators banged on the gates to the Skagerak Arena while police doused them with pepper spray.  Protesters wearing keffiyehs and waving Palestinian flags berated the officers and picked up loose gravel to hurl through the gate.

The Norwegian Football Federation had decided last Tuesday to close the match to spectators after “an overall assessment of the safety of the players and the public.”

Med Israel for Fred (MIFF) director Conrad Myrland wrote on Tuesday that one could only wonder what would happen to the Israeli athletes if the protesters had broken in. “Do you want a country where nationalist and Islamist violent activists get to control who can play football or who can watch football? Or do you want a country where such violent mobs are arrested and condemned?”

NRKTV of Norway had a few more details. 

The Conservative Party’s Ove Trellevik reacted strongly and said it is time people learned manners. I’m hoping that is Norwegian understaement, or something lost in translation.  He went on t say he thought the protestors a the centre of the trouble should have been arrested and political opion must be expressed, but peacefully. 

Heart for Palestine and the Palestine Committee Telemark  were responsible for the demonstration but insist that they deplore the violence.  However Janne Løken the leader of Heart for Palestine said that the Tuesday match was extra special; “to have the Israeli football team in our city put minds on fire”. 

The police are considering wherther to make any arrests after the event, and say such behavious may even result in fines, but only if they can identify the most active ‘players’ and I don’t think he meant on the pitch. 

The final score was  the Israeli team lost to Norway 2-0, ending its UEFA European Championship Qualifying journey.