Kolkata's Eden Gardens joins controversial list: Four held for displaying Palestinian flag

The Kolkata Maidan Police temporarily apprehended four individuals for waving the Palestinian flag in protest of the Israel-Hamas War during the ICC World Cup game between Pakistan and Bangladesh at Eden Gardens.

What

• The Kolkata Police said that initial investigations revealed that the four individuals were staging a protest against the ongoing Israel-Hamas War and had chosen the international cricket match as the platform for their demonstration.

• According to a police officer's statement, the officers at Eden Gardens were initially puzzled by the protesters' actions as they raised the Palestinian flag without chanting any slogans.

• The four accused were interrogated and later released at midnight.
• All four are in their mid-twenties and hail from Bally, Ekbalpore, and Karaya Police Station vicinities.

Eden joins a list

Sports stadiums often become platforms for expressing opinions on Israel-Palestine. Kolkata's Eden Gardens is the latest to join the globally controversial list.

Celtic fans at Celtic Park, Scotland

• Celtic's Champions League showdown with Atletico Madrid at Celtic Park, Scotland, became a historic moment for the Scottish club, but for a reason similar to the incident at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
• Despite numerous warnings and the club's explicit condemnation of using Palestinian flags or banners, many Celtic fans defied this and were seen waving Palestinian flags in a display of support for Gaza war victims.

• Celtic Football Club has indefinitely revoked season tickets from a segment of its fan base, the Green Brigade, citing their persistent violations of club and stadium regulations as the reason for this action.

Osasuna fans

• During a La Liga match between Osasuna and Granada, Osasuna fans showed support for Palestine in defiance of a stadium ban on Palestinian flags.

•  This protest was sparked by controversial social media posts from Granada's Israeli striker Shon Weissman regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict.
• Weissman did not play in the game due to security concerns, fearing a hostile atmosphere fueled by Osasuna fans' anger over his Gaza Strip-related comments.