On Tuesday, October 14, thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched through the northern Italian city of Udine ahead of Italy's World Cup qualifying match against Israel. The largely peaceful protest ended with clashes between some participants and police. Preliminary police estimates put attendance at over 5,000 people. The march moved through the city center in the late afternoon, leading up to the match at Friuli Stadium, where Italy defeated Israel 3-0.

The demonstration, organised by the Committee for Palestine-Udine, called on FIFA to ban Israel from international competitions, accusing the team of supporting "occupation policies" in Palestinian territories. Protesters carried an 18-meter Palestinian flag and a large red banner with the slogan "Show Israel the red card." A metal statue symbolising justice held both scales and a red card. Valentina Bianchi, one demonstrator, said, "There has been a ceasefire, but not peace. As I wrote on my placard, there can be no peace without justice."

Towards the end of the march, some protesters threw firecrackers and barriers at anti-riot police, who responded with water cannons and tear gas. State broadcaster RAI reported that one of its journalists was injured by a stone and taken to hospital, while Ansa news agency said a second journalist and several police officers were also treated for injuries.

Mayor Alberto Felice De Toni condemned the violence, saying, "What happened tonight is unacceptable. Our city strongly condemns the violence that took place in the streets at the end of the demonstration." The protest continued despite a recent ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which included the release of remaining Israeli hostages and the return of Palestinian prisoners.

Security measures: For the match, the Italian football federation reported just over 9,000 tickets sold, below the reduced stadium capacity of 16,000. Shops either kept shutters down all day or closed early due to fears of violence after recent unrest at demonstrations in Italy. Authorities imposed multiple restrictions, including road closures, parking limits, and concrete barriers around the stadium to create security zones. Serving food or drinks in glass, ceramic, or metal containers was prohibited, and outdoor furnishings had to be removed from public areas. Some residents expressed frustration at the heavy security presence. Paolo Lizzi said, "I saw helicopters flying over my head. I believe such a deployment of forces for a football match should never take place."