Sports fields are no longer just venues for athletic competition; they have become spaces for expressing human values and highlighting the massacres committed by the occupying entity and the genocide it perpetrates against innocent civilians in Gaza, Lebanon, and other parts of the world.

Moments of protest against silence continue to unfold, from one stadium to another, from one country to another—starting from Palestine to Colombia, Spain, Paris, and many other nations—where voices rise, and banners are displayed. The sorrow remains deep, but the hope for freedom is always present.

For example, Celtic FC’s supporters, one of the most prominent fan groups supporting the Palestinian people, have consistently raised banners advocating for Palestine’s freedom, and have also contributed aid estimated at £137,000 for Palestine.

In Spain, many matches have witnessed solidarity activities with Palestine. For instance, in a La Liga match between Athletic Bilbao and Celta Vigo, Palestinian flags were raised. Similarly, Real Sociedad’s fans expressed their support and solidarity with Palestine during their Champions League match against Benfica.

During a football match between Deportivo Palestino and Colombian team Millonarios, a group of fans hung a massive Palestinian flag on the bridge opposite the stadium in Colombia. They held banners that read: “Stop the genocide,” and “There should never be a Zionist state committing genocide in Palestine again.”

In Turkey, Iraq, and Jordan, several solidarity events in support of Palestine and Gaza have taken place during matches. For example, in a game between Galatasaray and Beşiktaş in Week 9 of the 2023-2024 Turkish football season, players from both teams entered the field holding a banner that read, “We condemn the injustice in Gaza.”

The fans of Ankara GÜCÜ also created a banner supporting Palestine during their match against Alanya Sport, featuring an image of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Palestinian children, and the phrase, “Muslims will unite, and darkness will fade away.”

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, widespread solidarity campaigns saw the Palestinian flag being raised both inside and outside stadiums, along with banners supporting Gaza’s children and calls for the occupying entity to be banned from participating in the Olympics. For instance, during a match between the genocidal entity’s team and Mali, the crowd displayed a beautiful solidarity gesture and banner, accompanied by boos in protest of the occupying entity’s participation in the Olympics.

As the genocidal war enters its second consecutive year, what is now required is the continuation of this wave of solidarity with Palestine and Lebanon in sports fields and arenas of all kinds, especially with influential stars and athletes worldwide, so that the voice of our resilient Palestinian people remains strong in global events and activities.