[News] The Torch Arrives, and So Does Gaza: Palestine Overshadows the Olympic Opening Ceremony

[Anti-Imperialist News]

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The Torch Arrives, and So Does Gaza: Palestine Overshadows the Olympic
Opening CeremonyFebruary 7, 2026
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A protest was held in Milan against Israel's participation in the Olympics.
(Photo: Orgoglio Bresciano/Instagram)

*By Romana Rubeo <https://www.palestinechronicle.com/writers/romana-rubeo>*


The opening of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics did not begin as a
purely sporting event. From the arrival of the Olympic torch to the
ceremony inside San Siro Stadium and even the television broadcast itself,
Israel’s genocide in Gaza became a recurring point of public reaction,
protest, and controversy.

*Key Takeaways*

   - Protests greeted the torch relay over Israel’s participation amid the
   Gaza war.
   - Students mobilized the next day with Palestine-focused demonstrations.
   - The Israeli delegation was loudly booed inside San Siro Stadium.
   - Ghali’s peace-poem performance sparked controversy over minimal
   broadcast coverage.
   - Gaza dominated the opening’s narrative across streets, stadium and TV.

*The Torch Relay Becomes Political Stage*

On Thursday evening, as the Olympic flame entered Milan, pro-Palestinian
demonstrators gathered along the route.

The protest did not attempt to block the relay, but it directly targeted
the legitimacy of Israel’s presence at the Games.

Participants argued that international institutions were treating the Gaza
war differently from other conflicts and demanded the exclusion of Israel
from international sporting events.

“Israel is committing a genocide, yet it is welcomed with open arms at the
Winter Olympics,” one demonstrator said, according to Euronews.

The torch continued its path without interruption and arrived at Piazza
Duomo, carried by Teatro alla Scala étoile Nicoletta Manni.

The following morning, students organized a second protest in Piazza
Leonardo Da Vinci. The demonstration again focused on the genocide and
Israel’s participation, with Palestinian flags, chants and banners
dominating the gathering.

Organizers framed the Olympics as part of a broader normalization of the
genocide despite rising civilian casualties in Gaza.
*Israeli Delegation Booed*

The political tension visible in the streets reappeared during the opening
ceremony itself.

At San Siro Stadium, before approximately 61,000 spectators, the Israeli
delegation was met by loud whistles and boos from sections of the audience
as the athletes entered the arena.

The reaction did not interrupt the ceremony, but it was clearly audible
inside the stadium and during the broadcast. Unlike spontaneous crowd noise
typical of sporting rivalries, the response reflected the same political
objections voiced during demonstrations outside the venue.

For many spectators, the ceremony became a setting for public expression
rather than passive viewing — an arena where the Gaza war shaped how
national delegations were received.
*Ghali’s ‘Promemoria’*

The most sustained controversy emerged not from the crowd but from the
broadcast.

Italian-Tunisian rapper Ghali — who has repeatedly spoken in support of
Palestinians and previously called to “stop the genocide” during the 2024
Sanremo Festival — participated in the ceremony with a reading of
Promemoria, Gianni Rodari’s well-known poem about peace and the
consequences of war. He performed the piece in multiple languages.

Before the ceremony, political debate had already surrounded his
participation, with officials indicating the performance would not be
allowed to become a political message.

After the ceremony aired, viewers noticed the public broadcaster did not
frame the performance as a central act: the camera avoided close-ups,
commentators did not identify him during the segment, and the performance
passed without emphasis.

Social media users accused the network of deliberately minimizing his
presence.

Shortly before the ceremony, Ghali wrote on social media:“I know when a
voice is accepted. I know when it is corrected. I know when it becomes too
much.”

He later suggested the use of Arabic in the poem had been considered
problematic.

*(PC, Italian Media)*


*– Romana Rubeo is an Italian writer and the managing editor of The
Palestine Chronicle. Her articles appeared in many online newspapers and
academic journals. She holds a Master’s Degree in Foreign Languages and
Literature and specializes in audio-visual and journalism translation.*
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