Protesters urge Puma to stop sponsorship of Israeli footballs teams in occupied Palestinian land

A noisy and colourful demonstration against the sports goods label, which sponsors Manchester City Football Club, took place at Whalley Range road junction.

Manchester Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) chairwoman Norma Turner said: “I’m a Manchester City season ticket holder."

"We love the club, but we can’t say we’re fighting racism when Puma makes our kits while they sponsor the racism of the Israeli Football Association.

“Six Israeli teams play on stolen Palestinian land, while the Israeli army regularly kills, tortures and maims Palestinian players.

“We call on City and all the other clubs to help end this racism and we’ll be demanding a boycott of Puma until they do.”

John Nicholson of Manchester PSC said: “There was great support on the streets of Manchester for our call to Boycott Puma this Christmas.

“The sporting boycott of South African apartheid worked. Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and many others said what Israel is doing to Palestinians is worse than the apartheid regime in South Africa was against black people.

“It’s time for the world of sport and everyone else to stand against this, and that includes stopping Puma’s sponsorship of the Israeli Football Association.”

The protests were intended to discourage people from buying Puma goods as Christmas gifts.

More than 200 Palestinian sports teams and campaign groups are calling on Puma to end its support for Israeli apartheid.