Soccer Fans Attemt to Burn American Flag

Associated Press via ESPN ^ | September 22, 2001 | AP

[oldvike]

Club coach disgusted by display

[Associated Press]

EDINBURGH, Scotland -- Fans of the Greek soccer club AEK Athens tried to burn the American flag before the team's match against Scotland club Hibernian, and booed during a moment of silence for the victims of the terrorist attacks in the United States.

"What went on in Athens disgusted me," Hibernian coach Alex McLeish said Saturday. "With what happened last week, innocent people of all nationalities in America, anyone would show respect."

There was a minute's silence at all 77 European games played during the week. But McLeish said that as the players stood in silence to pay their respects in the Athens stadium before Thursday's UEFA Cup game, many AEK fans jeered through the silence and tried to burn the American flag.

"What badly disappointed me was that there was no effort made by anyone, the police included, to do anything about it," McLeish said. "When I first heard all the shouting and jeering, I thought it was their way of doing the minute's silence. Then I was told by someone who said, `Look, they're burning the American flag.'

"I could not believe such anti-American feeling in a European country."

Several hundred fans booed and jeered, and a group set fire to an Israeli flag, while others tried to burn an American flag but couldn't get it to light.

[oldvike]

Note that these jerks couldn't get the flag to catch on fire. Is that some kind of sign?

[oldvike]

I realize that Greece is near the middle east, but I did not know they hated America so much.

[Osinski]

I read this in disgust and frustration that my better judgement will not allow me to post the virulent, screaming pissed-offness I am currently experiencing. Greeks.

[Joe Boucher]

Greece has always been a kiss butt kinda place where the men have no balls. What one has to understand is that we in America won't forget this kind of treatment. The hell with these pieces of crap. Let them and anyone else who lines up against the U.S.A. understand that When their enemies like Turkey go to make war on them, let them have at it. France who America pulled out of trouble many times is lleader in limp excuses for real men. F em.

[All-American Medic]

Add Greece to the "against us" list. Then go and do them too!

[mountaineer]

If Greece were a Moslem nation, this might be halfway understandable. What a bunch of idiots.

[Bill Rice]

Greece - another country that would be speaking German, if not for us.

If we attack the arabs from the rear, would Greece help?

[ValerieUSA]

I don't know the point of forcing spectators in foreign countries to observe a moment of silence for the victims in the U.S.
A moment of silence is meaningless.

attempt .... it's not a difficult word to spell

[oldvike]

Let them and anyone else who lines up against the U.S.A. understand that When their enemies like Turkey go to make war on them, let them have at it. France who America pulled out of trouble many times is lleader in limp excuses for real men. F em.

Could'nt agree more.

[demkicker]

This is disgusting and shows more proof that commie whackos control the press all over the world and have stirred the pot of hatred for the US to a boiling point.

IMO, The Bush administration needs to launch a huge public relations truth campaign before this type of ignorance multiplies out of control.

[Charles Henrickson]

Beware of Greeks baring rifts.

However, that raises a question: Were the booers and burners indeed Greeks? I mean native, ethnic Greeks? Or were they from other nationalities, now living in Greece? That is quite common in Europe these days.

[ambrose]

There might be something of a grudge after what we did to the Serbs in Kosovo...

[okie_tech]

I imagine that the Greeks are still pissed at us for bombing the Serbs and most importantly for AIDING THE ALBANIAN MUSLIM TERRORISTS that threaten Greece as well as the Balkans.

[Thoreau]

Please: NO profanity, NO personal attacks, NO racist or violence posts.

[nycgal]

Being an American of Greek heritage, I am horrified to read what the AEK fans did. I cannot believe that the vast majority of Greek citizens condone this act. Unfortunately, there is a small group of left-leaning b*****ds there that delights in any American misfortune.

[Thoreau]

good observation

[okie_tech]

oldvike's comment was one of the mildest rebukes we've seen in two weeks. What's your problem?

[BritBulldog]

Why not. Here in Britain we all observed a minute's silence before our matches. I'm puzzled why the Greeks didn't. After all there not Moslems or anything like that. Perhaps it was just a minority, ie the hooligan minority.