It is unnerving to think that only an hour before the France vs Israel football match in Paris I was in the midst of a protest against it – unsuspecting all the chaos that the UEFA game will bring. For days, a number of organisations in France – including leftist Jewish movement, Tsedek – had been calling for the cancellation of the event.

Pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in Paris on Thursday ahead of a soccer match between France and Israel. Authorities were on high alert following violence in Amsterdam before and after a Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv.