British police said they arrested six people on Thursday evening ahead of Aston Villa’s Europa League match with Maccabi Tel Aviv in Birmingham, a match that saw fans of the Israeli team banned.
West Midlands Police, which deployed more than 700 officers over fears of clashes between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel groups, said a 21-year-old man was arrested for failing to comply with an order to remove a face mask while a 17-year-old boy was arrested for failing to comply with a dispersal order.
Three others were arrested on charges of disturbing public order on a racist background, and another on charges of disturbing the peace.
– Intensifying security operations before Villa Maccabi
Before the match, around 200 demonstrators, including members of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, gathered near a children’s playground adjacent to the Trinity Road stand at Villa Park. Palestinian flags and banners calling for a boycott of Israel were also placed on the ground next to Trinity Road amid pro-Gaza chants.
About 40 demonstrators, one carrying an Israeli flag, and others carrying posters reading “Keep Anti-Semitism Out of Football,” also gathered on a basketball court near the Doug Ellis stand to listen to various speakers opposing the ban.
Five vehicles were driven past the ground before kick-off, carrying electronic billboards displaying messages opposing anti-Semitism.
One message read, next to a Star of David, “Prevent hate, not fans,” while another carried a quote from French football legend Thierry Henry saying that football is not about goals but about bringing people together.
The atmosphere became particularly heated when police officers briefly formed a cordon to prevent a surge of protesters after a bystander waved an Israeli flag.
There was a sharp focus on the match after Birmingham officials decided last month to ban visiting fans from attending. The decision was widely criticized, including by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, but was praised by others, who said Maccabi fans had a recent history of violence.
West Midlands Police said they considered the match to be high risk “based on current intelligence and previous incidents”, including violence and hate crimes that occurred when Maccabi Tel Aviv played Ajax in Amsterdam last season.
The ban came at a time of growing concerns about anti-Semitism in Britain following a deadly attack on a synagogue in Manchester last month and calls from Palestinians and their supporters to boycott sports for Israel over the war against Hamas in Gaza. Hopes that the recent ceasefire will ease tensions appear premature.
