Explainer: Why are Celtic fans staunch supporters of Palestinian cause?

By Ivan Kesic

Amid the Israeli regime’s devastating blitzkrieg on the blockaded Gaza Strip, a football club based in Glasgow has grabbed headlines in recent weeks for its support of Palestine.

Despite the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) slapping fine on the Celtic Football Club, the club fans have vowed to continue their support for Palestine against the Israeli occupation.

On Wednesday, Europe’s top football body announced a new fine of $19,000 against the club over a "number of incidents" during its Champions League match against Atletico Madrid in late October, which ended in a 2-2 draw.

Celtic was ordered to shell out €17,500 for its supporters’ displaying "a provocative message of an offensive nature," €8,000 for “blocking of public passageways” and €3,500 for “lighting of fireworks.”

The club fans, led by the Green Brigade group, were heard singing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ while unfurling two large banners that read ‘Free Palestine’ and ‘Victory to the Resistance’.

The Green Brigade was banned by the Scottish club in October from attending its away matches but has remained insistent on showing support for Palestine by displaying its flags at Celtic matches.

Two pro-Palestinian displays

The incident took place at the match between Celtic and Atletico on October 25 at the club’s home ground Celtic Park in Glasgow, attended by 60,000 Celtic fans, including the Green Brigade group.

As the start of the Champions League group stage match approached, the stadium turned into a sea of Palestinian flags, every stand awash with the colors of Palestine in a show of solidarity with those bombed and killed by the Israeli occupying regime in the Gaza Strip.

A few days earlier, after a home match against Kilmarnock, Celtic fans strongly criticized the broadcasters for not wanting to show the North Curve corner section with Palestinian flags displayed.

This time the media was not able to cover up anything because the Palestinian symbolism was not limited to one corner of the stand, but the whole stadium was painted with colors of the Palestinian flag.

Spectacular photos and videos of pro-Palestinian Celtic fans, singing collectively "You’ll Never Walk Alone," quickly spread around the world and were shared by millions of netizens on social media.

During the earlier Scottish premiership match against Kilmarnock in Glasgow on October 7, the Green Brigade displayed two large banners saying "Free Palestine" and "Victory to the Resistance."

Defiance of club appeals

Two days after the 3-1 victory against Kilmarnock, the club's board distanced itself from the fan group’s show of solidarity, issuing a statement saying "Celtic is a football club and not a political organization."

"We ask that banners, flags and symbols relating to the conflict and those countries involved in it are not displayed at Celtic Park at this time," the club said in a statement before the game against Atletico.

However, the Green Brigade ignored the club's directives and, on the contrary, called on all Celtic fans to raise the Palestine flag during the club’s UEFA Champions League match.

"We must apply learning from apartheid South Africa to dismantle apartheid Israel; if we are neutral in situations of injustice, we have chosen the side of the oppressor," the Green Brigade said in a counter-statement.

"We send our sincere solidarity and prayers to our friends across all of Palestine at this traumatic time when yet again much of the international community turns its back in cowardice while war crimes are inflicted on a largely defenseless, imprisoned population.”

Keeping the fan tradition

In another statement, issued as a response to the club's appeals, the Green Brigade also highlighted their tradition of supporting the oppressed and criticized hypocrisy by the political and media class.

"Football remains one of the few areas of public life where working-class people have genuine political agency, and we will not be dictated to by an elitist board that has repeatedly demonstrated contempt for the history and traditions of Celtic FC," the fan club said.

"Celtic was born out of famine and oppression, a product of colonial rule, death and the mass displacement of people. It is because of this history that Celtic fans are renowned for their empathy and solidarity; consistently siding with the oppressed and destitute," they added.

It slammed the “hypocrisy” of the club staff, which it said is in line with “much of the political and media class, epitomized through the example of Ukraine.”

“Political messaging was welcome at Celtic Park then, yet it is being condemned now,” the statement noted. "The question on any reasonable mind should be - why? Why are Ukrainian lives more sacred than Palestinian lives.”

The fans referred to the fact that some months ago, pro-Ukrainian support on the pitches and sports stadiums was not prohibited but encouraged, ibyUEFA's official policy.

While the Green Brigade is renowned for its Irish Republicanism and steadfast support for Palestine, fans of Celtic's local rival Rangers have in turn supported the Israeli regime when facing Celtic.

In recent weeks, Rangers fans have waved Israeli regime flags and held a minute's silence for the Israeli victims, but the club has not been punished for such actions.

Humanity of the club

The support of Celtic fans is much more than waving flags and is not a result of the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza, they have been organizing pro-Palestinian support since the 2000s.

In 2012, they organized a display of solidarity with Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike, featuring a banner reading "Dignity is More Precious than Food" alongside Palestinian flags.

Their most noble pro-Palestinian action came in 2016 after UEFA fined them £8,600 for flying Palestinian flags in a match against Israeli club Hapoel Beer-Sheva.

Defiant as always, the Green Brigade launched a crowdfunding campaign and ultimately a remarkable £176,076 was raised and split between two beneficiaries that provide medical aid to Palestinians.

One of the results of those donations was the establishment of the refugee football club Aida Celtic, based in the Palestinian city of Bethlehem.

The Green Brigade has continued with humanitarian actions in recent weeks, collecting donations for health organizations that help the Palestinian people.

Interestingly, the club was formed in 1888 by Brother Walfrid, an Irish Catholic cleric, to raise money for poor Irish immigrants in the West of Scotland, according to reports.

So, as it appears, the foundation of the Scottish club itself was based on a human cause.

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