Euro 2024: England fan calls for 'Free Palestine' during live UK TV interview

An England football fan went viral on Sunday night after declaring "Free Palestine" during a live television interview following the Three Lions' loss to Spain in the Euro 2024 final.

The fan was interviewed by UK broadcaster Sky News in North West England during a segment on reactions to England's 2-1 loss to Spain.

The fan started by saying: "I thought they played really good, absolutely amazing. Every game they played so far, they’ve got the absolute goal plan, everything, right down to the T. Tonight, we couldn't just make it, but [it's] understandable." 

He then went on to shout "but all I’m going to say is… Free Palestine… Free Palestine".

The reporter reacted by pushing the fan away and covering the microphone. He then turned to the camera saying: "We’ll leave that there, thank you very much, but we don’t need that".

The England fan's comments were praised by pro-Palestine activists on social media while Sky News's reporter was criticised for "attempting to silence" the pro-Palestine solidarity message with nearly 39,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza since 7 October.

In the 2022 World Cup held in Qatar, multiple England fans also called for a free Palestine during interviews with the press on camera.

One fan shouted the slogan when asked by an Israeli TV crew about England’s prospects in the competition, seemingly annoying the reporter who responded with "no, come on".

Another Three Lions fan also made the call on the Al Jazeera network in Arabic by yelling 'Falastine Horra', which translates to 'Free Palestine' in English, while waving a scarf with the Palestinian flag.

Following their defeat of England, Spanish fans at home also waved Palestinian flags and shouted 'Free Palestine', videos on social media showed.

Spain has been a relatively strong supporter of the Palestinian cause in Europe and formally recognised the State of Palestine in May, a move described as "essential for peace process".