Lamine Yamal’s Palestinian flag praised by fans, activists and athletes | Football News

Spanish soccer star Lamine Yamal has been hailed as a “brave young man” for hoisting the Palestinian flag on Barcelona’s opening bus after winning the La Liga title.

The 18-year-old held and raised a large Palestinian flag as the newly crowned Spanish champions joined thousands of Barca fans who lined the streets of the Catalan capital on Monday, hours after their 2-0 El Clasico win over Real Madrid sealed their second consecutive league title.

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Yamal, who looked relaxed standing on the side of the bus’s right-hand rail, missed Sunday’s game due to injury, but joined his teammates in the professional team the next day.

Videos showing how he helped the Palestinians immediately went viral on social media, with football fans, pundits, activists, and players praising the young man’s image.

Muhammed Akram, a Palestinian student in Gaza wrote: “To some, it may seem strange, but here in Gaza, it touches the heart in a way that words cannot describe.”

“Thank you, Lamine Yamal. From Gaza, you are loved more than you know.”

‘Well done Lamine Yamal’

The Palestinian flag has been raised by Palestinian protesters and activists in hundreds of cities around the world over the past two and a half years. Many see it as an act of solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza, who have been facing the wrath of Israel’s destruction since October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian group Hamas attacked Israel.

Israel has killed more than 72,740 Palestinians since October 2023, of which 854 were killed during the so-called “ceasefire” signed last October.

Although anti-Palestinian protests have generally decreased since the “ceasefire” came into effect, activists continue to raise the Palestinian flag at large public gatherings, such as sporting events and festivals.

Yamal, in turn, used a huge festival in Barcelona to show his support for Palestine, and some activists believe he has done more to raise awareness of his cause than many others.

“When you have a platform, use it,” wrote Dyab Abou Jahjah, a political activist and journalist in Lebanon. “When you have a voice, speak it. Bravo Lamine Yamal,” he added.

Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick said he spoke to Yamal about the incident.

“I spoke to him (Yamal) and told him: ‘If you want to do it, it’s your decision, you’re big enough,'” the German coach told reporters on Tuesday.

Following the celebrations, the Spanish player posted a photo of himself holding the Palestinian flag, along with others who took part, on his Instagram account.

Yamal has 44.2 million followers on social media, while his posts have been liked by 5.3 million users and had more than 100,000 shares.

Popular Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha commented on Yamal’s post, saying, “We love you, Gazan.”

Barca’s British striker Marcus Rashford and Dutch footballer Anwar El Ghazi were among the 166,000 people who commented on the post, which contained seven images.

Hands ‘show solidarity between Catalonia and Palestine’

The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) group, which was founded in 2005 to promote Palestinian rights and end Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory, also praised Yamal’s heroics.

“Thank you for filling humanity,” the group’s Spanish news agency tweeted. “Sports have the power to show what the world should not forget.”

Palestinian football expert Bassil Mikdadi said Yamal reflected the true spirit of Barcelona football club.

“Over the past two decades, FC Barcelona has turned into a very commercial club,” he wrote on X. “First came shirt sponsorship, then stadium naming rights, then palancas. Lamine Yamal shows what the club and its fans are.

Meanwhile, many Israeli fans attacked Yamal and said that “he should not wear the Spanish shirt” and that his actions should be enough to ensure that he does not win the prestigious Ballon d’Or award even though he plays for club and country.

Others, however, praised him for not worrying about the consequences and supporting the oppressed.

“Lamine Yamal raising the Palestinian flag is a powerful symbol of solidarity and human dignity,” said Barcelona student Neus Torbisco Casals.

“It’s a reminder that sports can also be a voice against murder, oppression, and in favor of human rights,” he continued in a lengthy essay on X.

“A very brave young Catalan to speak out when there are thousands of pressures to remain silent.” Such gestures can inspire millions of people around the world.

“Many people have expressed solidarity between Catalonia and Palestine because we share the same desire to exercise the rights of all people: the right to self-governance, to preserve humanity, language, culture, and to live without a regime reinforced by colonialism or, in the case of Palestine, racial discrimination.

“True solidarity rejects any kind of authority and defends the equality and dignity of all people, not just countries. The fight against oppression is everywhere: when people defend their freedom and dignity, they also speak for all people who oppose injustice. Bravo Lamine.”

Yamal, a Muslim whose father emigrated from Morocco to Spain, has spoken out against racism and Islamophobia in Spanish football.

Last month, he condemned the anti-Muslim chants that were heard during a friendly match between Spain and Egypt and issued a strong statement on his social media accounts.

“I am a Muslim, yesterday at the playground, the song ‘He who does not jump is a Muslim’ was heard,” he wrote.

“I know I’m playing for the team we’re fighting against, and it wasn’t against me, but as a Muslim, it doesn’t stop being insulting and illegal.”

Yamal has scored 30 goals in over 100 games for Barcelona and six in 25 games for his national team.

The successful actor has gained a huge following around the world and has many fans in Palestine, where his love affair continued hours after the viral videos started to emerge.

“Only 14 minutes…

“A moment that will live forever in history, remembered as one of the most profound human moments the world has ever seen,” he added.

I cannot fully describe what we felt when we saw people who still have the courage to speak the truth, and stand by the people who are enduring the worst massacre in modern history.

Thank you to everyone who supported us, everyone who spoke up for us, everyone who refused to be silent and chose humanity instead.

You can’t imagine how much this love, care, and connection means to us…to feel that we are still the most important thing in this world.

From the heart of Gaza…
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Thank you for making us feel that we are not alone.”