Thessaloniki, Greece (AP) — Police conducted a massive security operation outside the stadium on Wednesday ahead of the Israeli team’s “Maccabi’s match against Greek club Poak in the Europa League in Tel Aviv.
Two small protests were held in Thessaloniki, in northern Greece, calling for Israeli clubs to be expelled from European competition in response to the massive casualties of the war in Gaza.
Approximately 120 Israeli fans traveled to Greece for the match and were detained behind police security before entering the 28,000-seat Toumba Stadium. Special Forces officers escorted the Maccabi team bus to the venue, and bomb squad sniffer dogs inspected the site.
Previously, protesters climbed scaffolding in a complex of buildings that house the US consulate and spread the flag that reads “genocide” in English from the side of the building.
Police detained several protesters at the scene. ___
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