The Green Brigade have responded to Celtic taking down Palestine flags and banners at Celtic Park.
In a widely-heralded move, the North Curve twitter page showed its message of solidarity to followers, with the standing section as the canvas. Very quickly afterwards, the club took the display down, offering a stinging rebuke.
The club shared a statement that said [Celtic FC]:
“We had invited supporters to pay tribute to our Club captain, Scott Brown, by giving them the opportunity to display their own banners in the stadium.
“Unfortunately a small group, which was given access in good faith, has attempted to exploit this opportunity, taken advantage of an occasion intended for our Club captain, Scott Brown, and used it for a different purpose.
“Clearly this is unacceptable and the display was immediately taken down by the Club.”
Green Brigade respond to Palestine display furore
The response from the Green Brigade was comprehensive and damning. A message from the North Curve twitter account said:
“This morning the Green Brigade set up two small tributes for two issues close to the hearts of Celtic supporters.
“First, we paid tribute to departing Celtic captain, Scott Brown. Unable to give Scott the send-off he deserves tonight, we left a banner to mark his final match at Celtic Park. The ‘Brown 8’ banner not only honours Brown but reflects a special, charity, tribute t-shirt being sold by North Curve Celtic, with proceeds supporting the Hospital for Children, Glasgow. Around £7,000 has been raised to date.
“Second, we displayed a legitimate flag which has been proudly flown by Celtic fans for generations. We are disappointed, though sadly not surprised, that the flag of Palestine causes distress for Celtic plc.
“While we view flying the Palestinian flag as an act of humanity and solidarity, the removal and censorship of the flag demonstrates how far our current board have strayed from the values of Celtic Football Club. To remain neutral on hideous and violent acts of oppression is to side with the oppressor, which is an affront to the founding ethos of our club.
“Finally, we left a banner in tribute to our friend and Celtic supporter Salah Ajarma, who tragically diedlast month. A frequent visitor to Glasgow and Celtic Park, Salah met Scott Brown in 2012 when he brought a group of Palestinian refugees, and their flags, to Celtic Park.
“The Celtic plc statement was deliberately misleading and crass. Its absence from any social media platform proves the cowardice of those responsible for it. We are confident that the Celtic support will continue to stand with Palestine.”
So what now for Celtic supporters groups and the club?
It’s hard to see how these factions within the Celtic family can reach an agreement.
Political activism has been ingrained in Celtic’s culture since its formation. However, the board clearly saw the display as a step too far. This is a board that has been at an uneasy peace with Celtic supporters all season. There have been protests aplenty and discontent is rife.
While neither body speaks for the entire Bhoys support, the next steps are clearly crucial.
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