VIDEO SHOWS: PRO-PALESTINIAN DEMONSTRATORS PROTESTING IN UDINE AHEAD OF ITALY-ISRAEL WORLD CUP QUALIFIER / COMMENTS BY DEMONSTRATORS ON MATCH, CEASEFIRE IN GAZA RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT SHOWS: UDINE, ITALY (OCTOBER 14, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all) 1. PRO-PALESTINIAN DEMONSTRATORS GATHERING IN CITY CENTRE ON DAY OF ITALY-ISRAEL WORLD CUP QUALIFIER 2. BANNER READING (Italian) “You don't play with genocide” 3. DEMONSTRATORS GATHERING IN CITY CENTRE 4. BANNER READING (Italian) “Full stadium, empty conscience” 5. DEMOSTRATORS CHANTING (English) “Free Gaza” 6. DEMONSTRATORS CHANTING, UNFOLDING LARGE PALESTINIAN FLAG 7. DEMOSTRATORS WAVING LARGE PALESTINIAN FLAG 8. DEMOSTRATORS CHANTING (Italian) “We are all Palestinian” 9. GROUP OF DEMONSTRATORS CHANTING, HOLDING BANNER READING (Italian) "No one will be free until Palestine is free and recognised" 10. DEMONSTRATOR CHANTING, HOLDING RED CARD 11. DEMONSTRATORS HOLDING BANNER READING (English) "Show Israel the red card" 12. GROUP OF DEMONSTRATORS DRUMMING 13. DEMONSTRATOR CLAPPING HANDS 14. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) PRO-PALESTINIAN DEMONSTRATOR FROM TRIESTE, GLORIA CASAGRANDE, SAYING: "I think two years of war and extermination speak for themselves. Fortunately, people are taking action because, until some time ago, all we did was click on a few opinion polls. Fortunately, we are now taking action at all levels, and I hope we continue to do so, (also) now that we have signed a peace agreement – or a fake peace agreement, I don't think they will fool us so easily on these issues anymore." 15. BANNER READING (English) "Show Israel the red card. Socrates against genocide" 16. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) PRO-PALESTINIAN DEMONSTRATOR FROM UDINE, VALENTINA BIANCHI, SAYING: "There has been a ceasefire, but not peace. As I wrote on the sign, there can be no peace without justice. So we need to recognise the state of Palestine as a first step, or rather as the very first step, open the border crossings and let the aid through, and then everything else will follow." 17. MANNEQUIN REPRESENTING JUSTICE 18. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) PRO-PALESTINIAN DEMONSTRATOR, STEFANO (NO SURNAME GIVEN), SAYING: "It's the least we can do to be here. We can't live our daily lives without… at least a minimum to make these people understand." 19. DEMONSTRATOR HOLDING RED BANNER READING (English) "Show Israel the red card" 20. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) PRO-PALESTINIAN DEMONSTRATOR FROM SAN VITO AL TAGLIAMENTO, ANTONIO DI BISCEGLIE, SAYING: "Just as Russia was removed when it (the invasion of Ukraine) happened, the same should have been done by international sporting bodies for Israel. This has not been done, but all the more we condemn the fact that Israel continues to be allowed to compete as if nothing had happened." 21. DEMONSTRATORS HOLDING BANNER READING (English) "Show Israel the red card" STORY: Pro-Palestinian demonstrators took to the streets on Tuesday (October 14) in the northern Italian city of Udine, just hours before Italy's World Cup soccer qualifier against Israel, amid tight security measures. Italy is due to face Israel at 20:45 (1845 GMT) at the Friuli Stadium in the city's northwestern outskirts, while the demonstration, which is expected to attract up to 10,000 people, will wind its way through the city centre. March organisers Committee for Palestine-Udine called on FIFA, soccer's global governing body, to ban Israel from all competitions, saying the team supported "occupation policies" in the Palestinian territories. Organisers pressed ahead with the protest even after the government of Benjamin Netanyahu and militant group Hamas agreed on a ceasefire deal that included the release of the remaining living Israeli hostages and the return of Palestinian prisoners. "There has been a ceasefire, but not peace," said Valentina Bianchi, a resident of Udine, who took to the streets to call for humanitarian aid to be sent to Gaza and for the formal recognition of the State of Palestine. The protest featured flags of peace and Palestine, pro-Gaza chants and plenty of slogans addressing the World Cup qualifier, including "Show Israel the red card" and "You don't play with genocide." The Italian soccer federation said just over 9,000 tickets had been sold for the match against Israel, well short of the reduced capacity of 16,000. (Production: Alex Fraser, Roberto Mignucci, Matteo Negri)
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