Liverpool fans booed the National Anthem at the Europa League final on May 29th, but it’s not the first time they’ve done so.
The Europa League final was played in Baku, Azerbaijan on May 29th, and Liverpool fans made their opinions about the country known by booing the National Anthem before kick-off. The move comes after a number of controversial decisions by UEFA to host games in countries with questionable human rights records. It’s not the first time that Liverpool fans have booed the National Anthem before a game. In 2018, Liverpool supporters made headlines for booing God Save The Queen at Anfield when they played Cardiff City in a pre-season friendly. The move came after UEFA had banned them from playing anthems of their own countries before matches in Europe, which they were previously allowed to do.
This is also not the first time that people have been arrested for protesting against Azerbaijan’s government while attending sporting events. In 2017, Azerbaijani activist Rasul Jafarov was arrested and jailed for five years after taking part in a protest during Eurovision Song Contest 2016 in Baku. Jafarov had planned to unfurl a banner calling for freedom of speech during an interval act and was arrested when he attempted to unfurl it inside his hotel room instead.
