THIS is the shocking moment a Celtic fan was assaulted by German police for carrying a Palestinian flag.
The Hoops supporter was in Dortmund on Tuesday to watch his side face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.
But it wasn’t just his side’s miserable 7-1 battering that he had to endure with the fan, who was seen wielding a flag of the war-torn region, being confronted by German police officers in a heated altercation at the Signal Iduna Park stadium.
Video footage of the altercation shows the fan being roughly handled by the coppers who try to take the Palestinian flag off him.
Standing at the bottom of a flight of stairs in Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion and pinned against a wall, the fan is surrounded by several officers.
The police become physical with the Hoops fan, grabbing at him and the Palestinian flag he carries.
They violently wrestle the Scot to the floor where they pin him as he desperately fights back.
The officers sit on the man’s back, two of them firmly pinning him down whilst a third officer kneels to speak to him.
One bloke behind the camera begins to question what’s going on, prompting the assumed cameraman to answer: “This is a Palestine flag. He cannot show his own flags – no Palestine, no Israel.”
Getting closer, the cameraman attempts to film the Celtic supporter but is unable to get a clear shot with the police blocking his view.
Loud cheers can be heard in the background as the match outside rumbles on.
After some back and forth between the officers and the fan, the police allow him to stand, but he appears to continue arguing with them about his right to carry the flag.
The police explain to the bewildered fan that he cannot display the flag at a football stadium, saying: “In Germany, it’s not allowed.”
The cops continue as the Celtic fan holds his hands up and claims he did not know that was the case.
In a stern voice, one of the officers acknowledges the fan’s mistake but still says: “We have to take this from you, it’s not allowed, it’s not allowed in Germany.”
Unsatisfied though, the Celtic supporter continues arguing with the officers protesting that it is simply a flag, and that he should be allowed to display it.
The footage was shared to social media yesterday with the caption: “German police assaulted a Celtic FC fan for carrying a Palestinian flag during last night’s game against Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park.”
The post has since received over 915 likes and more than 470 comments from shocked social media users.
One user wrote: “The beatings will continue until democracy improves.”
Another added: “Germany yet again on the wrong side of history. Incredible.”
A third replied: “Being manhandled by police because of a flag. Very democratic, very western values.”
Another added: “Jackboot scum.”
A fifth commented: “They’re out of uniform. Where are the swastika armbands?”
