While it is very rude for anyone to boo a National Anthem, it is not a hard and fast rule to expect that everyone thinks the same.

In Canada, one hears how the Quebecois/Quebecoise quite often boo the National Anthem O Canada, because being separatists they do not accept it as their National Anthem. Of course that also applies to the Canadian Maple Leaf flag that has been desecrated time and time again by separatists in Quebec, who at times have torn or trampled upon it in disrespect. So, depending on the society one lives in, one should expect anything. While I am not condoning this sacrilege, I have realized that some people have no class at all.

Canada ha its deadbeats in the separatists, just as France has in these rowdy hooligans that boo the National Anthem.

Sadly this kind of behaviour has been common in the UK for years and is not restricted to National Anthems either and to find it has spread across the channel is indeed a reason for shame.

I have the honour to be married to a French woman, 90% of my 'family' are now French and in a curious way (for a Briton) I feel more French than English. I love to hear the Marseillaise and turn the sound up full blast at the start of any sporting event which features a French team; it is an action that is not readily appreciated by my neighbours. And why? Because the Marseillaise is probably the most inspiring and joyous celebration of nationhood ever written.

To confuse the vaguaries of sporting achievement (or lack of it) with the respect the anthem calls for deserves condemnation of whichever group the insult emanates from. It is simply unacceptable and I am so pleased to see the Government response.

As someone who attended the match, I can say that the outrageous behavior did not stop with the booing of the Marseillaise. The crowd (70% supporting Tunisia) was downright malicious to the French players for the entire first half. I have never before seen a team playing on its home turf have to deal with such a hostile reception. I can say that halting the game would not have been an extreme response. The Tunisian fans were a complete embarrassment to the game and to their ancestral country.

Learn to sing the Marseillaise in Arabic.

They always complain about Parisians being "rude" in America.
But when I went to Paris
I found the opposite to be true,
except for the foreigners living in France.
They hated the French, they hated us Americans
and even more then the hated us Americans and the French
they hated Parisians the most.
strange but true...
Paris has real problems with intergrating the foriegn Muslims.

I remember chasing this "muslim guy"
up the Avenue des Champs- Élysées
for throwing his garbage on the street
in front of my own eyes.

He was scared I was going to put a beating on him.
(and he should be, because it did cross my mind)
but I was yelling at the dude
"What's wrong with you man?
Come back here an pick your garbage up
you hillbilly slob!"

I should have caught up with him
but mommy and baby were not too happy with me
chasing this cat up the Avenue des Champs- Élysées over garbage,
So I had to back off.

But if I was by myself?
I would have physically drag him back.
and made him pick up his garbage.

Paris isn't the cess pool for Muslim dissidents and
the "Déclaration des Droits de l'Homme et du Citoyen" is not a suicide pact.

good luck Paris

I have read numerous articles about what happenned during this match but all of them always forget how the FFF (Fédération Française de Football, French Association of Soccer) did a lot of effort for this match. The teams enter in the pitch mixed up! and not the tunisian from one side and the french from another. Each french hold the hand of a young guy wearing the jersey of Tunisia and so on... What do they have to do?!?
I am astonished that it didn't matter to them and booed the anthem...
Something should be done because it's not the first time, during the return matches against italy... The French didn't booed the italian anthem in Paris, but they did in Rome. And I'm not talking about Portugal, Marocco and Algeria. Their reasons are ridiculus and, even if I do agree that France should accept its past mistakes, this was a shame!

Although I find booing an anthem stupid and despicable, I cannot help thinking that the recent manifestations of a revival of 'traditional values' such as nationalism or religious fervour are not all positive. All this rings disquieting bells, that politicians, and not just the radical ones, are using increasingly. Old people like me know all too well where nationalism invariably leads.
What the recent financial crisis has demonstrated is that Europe is but a façade, and that nationalistic and protectionist 'reflexes' are quick to re-surface.
And to end with, a small question for you: is it worse to jeer the national anthem or to leave the country to evade the taxes that citizens pay for the common good? I wonder who should be deprived of their citizens' rights...perhaps both categories, since they both despise and abuse their country...

it has been painful for me to watch my ancestral homeland fall victim to its own generosity. europeans across the globe have become afraid to stand up for themselves. the thugs who boo the french national anthem are not french. they spit on the country that provides free housing and medical care for them. the more that we put up with it, the more they will do it. i am pround to be french american and i am especially proud to see others like me on this site. all real americans know that the name of washington would be meaningless if not for king louis.

Do not Dishonor the Integrity of France

I‘m a twenty year USAF fighter pilot who is embarrassed by these youth shouting their disrespect for the Marseillaise. Regardless of deep rivalry or intense feeling for competition, there should never be a time to dishonor your host, and disgrace the honor of a nation.

I agree with the negative reaction to these youth as they don’t understand what, and who they’re offending. For two world wars France has stood as the first line of serious resistance to German aggression, the bodies of the French are spread across the continent while fighting for the basic freedom of mankind.

Booing the Marseillaise dishonors the dead and the warriors past who apparently have more character and courage than the shouts of adolescence.

I share the nation’s outrage, and maybe an old warrior from France can sit and explain it to them, if they have the humbleness to listen.

Reid D. Reasor, Lt Col, USAF

Unfortunately soccer fans are not known for their gentility anywhere in the world.
The action of the fans is perhaps going to be the only public voice of their anger at other problems in life, maybe a way they know will be heard in the government.
France is reknown for it's tolerance, there are far more important things for the government to be dealing with in these days.
Knock it off, there will always be idiots and losers, the best way to deal with cat-calls is to ignore them and concentrate on fixing the pot-holes such as high immigrant unemployment.

The whistling and jeering were unnecessary. Those who were jeering ought to have been silent and mindful of the respect that must be given to another country's national anthem. Moreover, they are residents of France and while there are many social/racial issues that they undoubtedly endure, the reality is that France offers them greater opportunity for progress than their home countries. As a daughter of immigrant parents, I am much more Mexican than American, but I recognize that our host country has given us much. They didn't have to sing along or even enjoy it, but they could have been silent.

how disgraceful! I am appalled and once again discouraged by the behavior of people who really ought to know better.

Well what do you expect,western goverments have lost all moral creditability,a society brought up on a culture of garbagge ,garbagge becomes the culture.one just has to look at what its society is so engrossed in,it is the media morons subjecting the masses with irrelevant and ignorance.dont ask the young generation ,they just victims,ask you grandparents and older generation.,obivisouly present day goverments are devoid of this situation or just lacking intelligence.