Pro-Palestine protesters twice halt Ireland's 2-2 draw with Austria at Aviva Stadium

Pro-Palestine protesters twice interrupted the Republic of Ireland’s UEFA Nations League match against Austria at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Thursday, causing stoppages during a 2-2 draw that took place against a backdrop of controversy over Ireland’s decision to play Israel during the same international window.

Campaign group Stop the Game threw tennis balls wrapped in Palestinian-flag stickers onto the pitch in the 20th minute, with Ireland leading 1-0 at the time. The group later issued a statement claiming responsibility for what it described as a “limited tennis ball protest”. Play was halted for approximately four minutes before resuming.

A second interruption followed later in the first half when a man carrying what appeared to be a Palestinian flag invaded the pitch before being tackled and removed by stewards, despite a heavy security presence at the ground.

The protests were directly linked to Ireland’s participation in matches against Israel during this international camp. Ireland’s players held a meeting last week and voted in favour of fulfilling the scheduled fixtures. They defeated Israel 3-0 on 27 September in a match played in Hungary and are due to face them again in a behind-closed-doors contest in Serbia on 4 October.

Members of Stop the Game had also gathered outside the Aviva Stadium before kick-off, displaying a Palestinian flag and banners in support of goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, who chose to boycott both matches against Israel in this window. The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign organised a separate protest outside the stadium, alongside demonstrations elsewhere in the country.

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) moved its scheduled home fixture against Israel to a neutral venue in June, citing “operational reasons”, following widespread calls for a boycott. The FAI has consistently resisted pressure to withdraw from the ties entirely, arguing that doing so could result in significant UEFA sanctions. Ireland are co-hosting the 2028 European Championship alongside England, Wales and Scotland, and officials have pointed to potential ramifications for that arrangement.

Thursday’s match was not the first to feature such a protest. Irish supporters threw Palestinian-flag tennis balls onto the pitch during a friendly against Qatar in Dublin in May.