Soccer Fans in Turkey Boo During Moment of Silence for Paris Victims

Not the most scientific poll of Turkish sentiment.

The emotionally drained France football manager, Didier Deschamps, paid tribute to a moment of “communal grief” at Wembley that was a small act of catharsis in the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks.

Before the England-France friendly international, never had an opposition national anthem been sung (or hummed) more loudly or more lustily at the home of English football.

“It was a moment when everyone came together. You felt it in your heart, you felt it in your gut, it was a special, moving, grandiose moment,” said Deschamps.

But as La Marseillaise rang around Wembley on Tuesday night in defiance of the terrorists who caused carnage in Paris, the fans who sang it did so in the knowledge that a friendly between Germany and Holland in Hanover had been cancelled just before kick-off due to security concerns.
Deschamps said he had kept the news from his players, who were on the pitch against Germany at the Stade de France on Friday when three suicide bombers blew themselves up outside, adding to a final death toll of 129.

“The moment when we all sang together was a powerful, emotional moment. We’ve had this moment of communal grief almost, this outpouring of communal grief. It’s been good for us,” he said after a match that finished 2-0 to England but in which the score was all but incidental.

As they filed in an hour before kick-off, with the Wembley arch lit in red, white and blue and the words “Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité” beamed on to the outside of the stadium, the mood among fans was bullish rather than nervous.
“It’s very important for us that the English will sing the national anthem tonight. The people are crying for the events that happened on Friday, but tonight it’s a match for humanity. We are not afraid,” said Olivier Gombert from Lille, one of a group of French fans holding a union flag with the words “together against terrorism” on it.

Before kick-off, fans applauded giant flags representing both countries on to the pitch. In the tunnel, players from both sides, wearing black armbands, looked drawn.

After floral tributes were laid, the anthems sung and the intermingled players from both teams had stood side by side while applause rolled down from the stands, they stood around the centre circle for an impeccably observed minute’s silence.

The French national anthem - La Marseillaise - will be played before this weekend's Premier League matches.

A choral version will be played after the coin toss, with players from both teams coming together with match officials in the centre circle.

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore described it as an act of "solidarity and remembrance" after the Paris attacks in which 129 people died.

La Marseillaise was sung before England's win over France on Tuesday.

There are 72 French players currently in the Premier League.

"Given how close we are, as well as the long-standing relationship that exists between the Premier League and France, playing La Marseillaise as an act of solidarity and remembrance is the right thing to do," said Scudamore.

Turkey is not the best example footballing behaviour. Brandon, like most far right Americans doesn't understand Turkey.

Interesting comment, since I merely reported a fact and made no interpretation.

With a pejorative thread title.

It's hard to hear what's happening in the video, but according to reports from Reuters and CBS, some fans of Turkey's team booed, hissed and chanted phrases such as "Allahu akbar" ...