• Anti-Israeli protesters storm stage at London event
• Guests included David Beckham and Sir Alex Ferguson
Anti-Israeli protesters took advantage of a security lapse to infiltrate a dinner for Uefa’s top officials in London on Friday night.
According to Guardian Guests at the event – including David Beckham and Sir Alex Ferguson – were stunned as three people, two men and a woman, staged the protest against Uefa arranging its European Under-21 tournament in Israel next month.
One of the protesters jumped on the stage and started shouting slogans, while another stood behind the Uefa president, Michel Platini, with a small flag, before all three were removed by security staff at the Old Billingsgate venue.
The dinner followed Uefa’s Congress in London on Friday and was organised with the support of the Football Association.
One guest, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Press Association Sport: “It was between courses and suddenly this man and woman got on the stage and started shouting things against Israel. Another had a flag and was standing behind Platini.
“Everyone was gobsmacked. It seemed to go on for a few minutes before they were removed.
“It was a bit of a security lapse to say the least. They were smartly dressed in suits but no one could understand how they had got in because we all had to show our invitations.”
Protesters from a group called Red Card Israeli Racism had also staged a demonstration outside the Uefa Congress at London’s Grosvenor House hotel earlier in the day.
It is the latest in a series of protests against Uefa – in January a group of pro-Palestinian activists occupied Uefa’s headquarters near Geneva.
Eight countries, including England, are taking part in the Under-21 tournament in Israel next month.