"Maccabi Tel Aviv will arrive in Lugano — and will find a city ready to protest"
Pro-Palestinian organizations have announced a demonstration this Thursday. Local parliament members have expressed concerns regarding the event's security and demanded answers from authorities.
Tensions in Switzerland are rising ahead of Maccabi Tel Aviv's match against Lugano this coming Thursday, as part of the first leg of the Conference League playoffs. The organization Gaza Action Ticino, along with other pro-Palestinian groups, has announced a protest against the arrival of the Israeli team in the city.
The protest follows concerns raised within the local political arena regarding the security of the match. Members of the Ticino canton parliament, Giuseppe Sergi and Matteo Pronzini, have submitted inquiries regarding potential risks ahead of the game. Simultaneously, Gaza Action Ticino has called for a protest "against the presence of Maccabi Tel Aviv in the city."
In a social media post titled "Show Israel The Red Card - Stop the Genocide," the organization leveled a series of harsh accusations against Maccabi Tel Aviv, its fans, and the club's ties to the IDF. Among other claims, they asserted that Maccabi is "much more than a football team" and that there is support for the Israeli army among its fans and within the club.
Sergi and Pronzini have requested clarifications from the State Council regarding risk assessments and coordination with Swiss federal police. They also urged special attention to be paid to preventing incidents of racism, antisemitism, and incitement to hatred or violence.
Despite these concerns, the organizations opposing the visit have made it clear they intend to take to the streets. Gaza Action Ticino described the planned protest as "clear, visible, and determined."
"On August 20, we will be on the streets to protest against the presence of Maccabi Tel Aviv," the organization stated, demanding that organizers, sponsors, and local institutions "take full responsibility for the choices they have made."
The organization rejected the notion that sport should be separated from politics, labeling the match a form of "normalization and sportswashing." In their closing statement, they called on other groups from Switzerland and abroad to join the protest: "If Maccabi arrives in Lugano, it will find a city ready to protest against it."
