STOCKHOLM — Thousands of people demonstrated against Israel during a Davis Cup match in Sweden.
About 6,000 protesters gathered on March 7, outside the matches’ venue in Malmo. Some 1,000 police kept the demonstrators, many of whom tried to storm the arena, under control. Five protesters were arrested for throwing rocks. Violence also continued elsewhere in the city.
Spectators were barred from watching the Davis Cup play because the city said it could not guarantee the Israeli players’ safety, with only about 300 to 400 media representatives, sponsors and guests in attendance, according to reports.
The decision to bar spectators came shortly after the United Arab Emirates refused to issue a visa to Israeli tennis standout Shahar Pe’er for a Dubai tournament last month.
“In almost every respect, the events of the past week in Sweden are a sad moment for tennis, for sports in general, and certainly for Israel. Never in my career as an athlete have I encountered such hatred and such blend of sports and politics,” Israeli doubles tennis star Andy Ram said on Ynetnews last week. He added that he has never seen such tight security.
Israel defeated Sweden, 3-2, on March 8 to advance to the Davis Cup quarter-finals. In the decisive match, Harel Levy outlasted Andreas Vinciguerra in five sets in a battle that lasted 3-1/2 hours.
