Cliff Notes – Six arrested ahead of Aston Villa vs Maccabi Tel-Aviv
- Six arrests were made in Birmingham ahead of the Europa League match, primarily for public order offenses and non-compliance with police orders.
- The match was marked by heightened security, with over 700 officers deployed due to concerns over potential clashes between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli groups.
Six arrested ahead of Aston Villa vs. Maccabi Tel-Aviv
British police said six people were arrested Thursday evening ahead of Aston Villa’s Europa League match with Maccabi Tel-Aviv in Birmingham, which passed without serious incident.
The league phase match at Villa Park, which the hosts won 2-0, became a major political event after the Israeli club’s supporters were banned from attending due to fears over their safety.
– Security operations ramp up ahead of Villa-Maccabi
West Midlands Police, which has deployed more than 700 officers over concerns of clashes between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli 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 for racially aggravated public order offenses and another for breach of the peace.
Before the match, around 200 protesters including members of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, gathered near a children’s playpark adjacent to Villa Park’s Trinity Road stand. Palestinian flags and banners calling for a boycott of Israel had also been placed on the ground beside Trinity Road amid pro-Gaza chants.
Around 40 protesters, one carrying an Israeli flag, and others carrying posters saying “keep antisemitism out of football,” also gathered on a basketball court close to the Doug Ellis Stand to hear various speakers opposing the ban.
Police officers keep different groups apart outside the ground before Aston Villa’s Europa League match with Maccabi Tel-Aviv. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
Five vehicles were driven past the ground prior to kick-off, carrying electronic billboards showing messages opposing antisemitism.
One of the messages, beside a Star of David, read “Ban hatred not fans” while another carried a quote from French soccer legend Thierry Henry saying football is not about goals but bringing people together.
The atmosphere became particularly heated when police officers briefly formed a cordon to prevent a surge of protesters after an Israeli flag was reportedly waved by a passer-by.
Villa had implemented a strict ticketing policy, which only allowed people with a previous purchase history to buy them.
Fans were also warned against displaying flags or political banners as per UEFA regulations, a request that was adhered to throughout.
It was cordial between the two teams before kick-off as the stadium announcer encouraged Villa fans to give their visitors a warm welcome, while Villa walked out with mascots dressed in the Maccabi colours.
The absence of the away fans was showcased by a large swathe of empty seats in the Doug Ellis Stand, but fears there would be trouble in the ground soon passed. It was a largely benign atmosphere inside the stadium as Villa coasted to the win, which aids their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages directly.
Goals from Dutch pair Ian Maatsen and Donyell Malen set up a 2-0 victory.
There has been a sharp focus on the match after officials in Birmingham decided last month to ban visiting fans from attending. The decision was widely criticised, including from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, but lauded by others, who said Maccabi fans have a recent history of violence.
West Midlands Police said it had deemed the match to be high risk “based on current intelligence and previous incidents,” including violence and hate crimes that took place when Maccabi Tel-Aviv played Ajax in Amsterdam last season.
The ban came at a time of heightened worries about antisemitism in Britain following a deadly attack on a Manchester synagogue last month and calls from Palestinians and their supporters for a sports boycott of Israel over the war against Hamas in Gaza. Hopes that the recent ceasefire would ease tensions appear premature.
Information from The Associated Press and PA was used in this report.
