The area around the hotel in Israel is a “red zone”. 1,500 agents are distributed along the city's main arteries and monitor the pro-Pal march
A guerrilla setup and preparation for a football match. This is the sad reality of the Nations League match between Italy and Israel, on the pitch at 8:45 p.m. at the Bluenergy Arena in Udine. An event which, to celebrate after five and a half years of absence of the Azzurri from Friuli, forced the police to transform the city into a very safe bunker. “Boycott the match” is one of the banners that have appeared in recent days in front of the municipality of Udine after mayor Alberto De Toni granted patronage of the match last week. In the afternoon, the streets of Udine will be crossed by a pro-Palestinian procession. The team hotels, the routes taken by their buses and the stadium are monitored by hundreds of agents. There are fears that infiltrators will also take part in the demonstration with the aim of confronting the agents.
A city in confinement
We could say that the Friulian town is in confinement. From the police station, uniformed and plainclothes officers check documents and monitor travelers. The procession started at 5:00 p.m. from Piazza della Repubblica and ended at 7:30 p.m. in Piazza XX Settembre, 7 kilometers from the stadium. Thousands of demonstrators are expected for an event in which at least 85 associations are expected to participate. These are guarded by around 1,500 officers in riot gear. The route is monitored second by second, even from the sky: the police use drones and a helicopter.
The march is peaceful, but there are fears that certain elements will try to start a confrontation with the officers. This is why several stores in the center of Udine have decided not to open their doors this afternoon, or in any case to close before the start of the event. Of course, similar measures have also been placed along the routes that the buses of the two national teams will follow to reach the playing field.
Security measures near the stadium
The plan decided last Friday at the police headquarters does not only cover surveillance of the procession. There is also a significant presence of agents around the hotels of the two national teams. Those from Udine speak of a real “bunker” around the place where Israel resides, declared a red zone. The stadium is also under close surveillance. Checkpoints on main roads, mobile barriers, “concentric security circles” and even bollards, to prevent cars from trying to hit supporters. The streets surrounding the Blueenergy Arena have been closed since yesterday evening and are constantly monitored by bomb squads. In these areas – frequented by anti-terrorist, anti-sabotage and dog police units – Mayor De Toni has ordered a parking ban. There will also be barriers in front of the stadium turnstiles: only those who can prove they are in possession of a ticket, accreditation or service pass will be able to access the structure.
The impact on the applause: there will only be 11,000 spectators
Fear of possible clashes has invaded the city and football fans. Out of 25,000 seats available, only 11,700 tickets were sold for tonight's match. And among these are the 1,300 distributed between local football schools and players from the Friuli amateur championships. From 6:30 p.m., supporters will be able to start taking their seats. Under the watchful eye of 420 stewards, whose mission will be to carefully monitor (by scanning and searching) supporters' backpacks and bags.
