NFL's Moment of Silence for Israel Interrupted by 'Free Palestine' Chants

Amid a moment of silence for Israel on Sunday during the National Football League's (NFL) game with the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans in London, "Free Palestine" chants were heard.

On October 7, Hamas, which the U.S. designates as a terrorist organization, led the deadliest Palestinian militant attack on Israel in history. Israel subsequently launched its heaviest ever airstrikes on Gaza. As of Sunday, more than 1,300 people had been killed in Israel, the Associated Press reported. More than 2,300 people had been killed in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, the AP said.

Since the attack, both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian groups across the world have taken to social media and to in-person protests to voice their thoughts about the conflict, provoking strong reactions from each side.

At the start of the game, the NFL decided to hold a moment of silence for Israel. However, according to video footage posted to YouTube, the silence was soon interrupted by "Free Palestine" chants. The video's authenticity was verified by Newsweek along with the chants that were heard by Newsweek at the game.

X, formerly Twitter, user @NatVanChudleigh posted about the moment and wrote, "They just tried to do a minute's silence for Israel at the NFL in London. Loads of people were shouting 'Free Palestine' so they cut it short after about eight seconds. How wholly predictable."

However, in a statement emailed to Newsweek on Sunday, Morgan Rubin, director of communications at the NFL, said the moment of silence took place as planned and was not cut short.

"The moment before today's game in London was the same as those conducted today in the U.S. and on Thursday night. The moment in London took place as scripted and was not cut short. This was a moment of silence, not a minute of silence," Rubin said.

As previously reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter, "NFL teams will hold a moment of silence before each game this week for victims who have been killed in the Hamas attack on Israel."

In addition, the NFL also condemned the attack while calling for peace in a statement on Monday.

"The NFL mourns the loss of innocent lives in Israel and strongly condemns all forms of terrorism," the league said. "The depravity of these acts is beyond comprehension, and we grieve with the families of those killed, injured and still missing. We pray for peace and will always stand against the evils of hate."

The interruption, calling attention to the Free Palestine movement, comes after thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters have taken to the streets across the United Kingdom on Saturday, including in London and Manchester.

According to the BBC News, more than 1,000 police officers in London were deployed as crowds marched from the BBC News' Broadcasting House to 10 Downing Street, the official residence and office of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, as pro-Palestinian demonstrators called for an end to Israel's military action in the Gaza Strip.

The ongoing conflict continues to result in increasing tensions around the world, with protests and counter-protests erupting in major cities in the United States such as New York, Los Angeles, and Atlanta as many continue to grapple with how to respond to the violence.

In addition to the NFL speaking out amid the conflict, over a dozen teams have released their own statements, including the Chiefs, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Update 10/15/23, 5:51 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from the NFL.

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