Tight UK security as Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv gets underway

A disputatious football game agree betwixt Maccabi Tel Aviv and Aston doroteo arango got underway amid tight security in Birmingham, central England, on Thursday, with visiting Israeli fans barred over safety fears.

More than 700 police were deployed across Birmingham as pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel protesters held separate demonstrations outside Villa Park stadium in the run-up to kick-off.

Villa announced last month that no Maccabi fans would be allowed at the match following a police risk assessment.

The decision sparked criticism, including from Prime Minister Keir Starmer who set about trying to reverse the move, but the Israeli club later announced it would decline tickets for its fans anyway, citing safety concerns.

Some 200 pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered near the stadium's Trinity Road stand. They chanted "Free Palestine" and displayed banners calling for a boycott of Israel and its exclusion from international football.

A few dozen pro-Israel protesters stood at the other side of the stadium, waving Israeli flags and holding posters that read "Keep anti-Semitism out of football". Police escorted them away shortly before the match kicked off at 8:00 pm .

Birmingham, the UK's second-largest city and home to a significant Muslim population, has been the scene of regular pro-Palestinian rallies over the last two years.

Police classified Thursday's fixture as "high risk", citing "violent clashes and hate crime offences" during a Europa League match in Amsterdam between Maccabi and local team Ajax last November.

That game sparked two days of clashes between locals and Israeli fans in the Dutch city.

AFP saw a large visible police presence outside Villa Park, with officers wearing protective padding and carrying riot helmets. Police horses were also deployed.

"We are experienced at policing high-profile football matches and demonstrations, and for many weeks now, we have been working closely with different faith and local community groups to listen to their views and concerns," West Midlands Police said in statement.

Signs were hung near the stadium reading "no war games allowed" and "Give Zionism the Red Card", while channels spearheaded by far-right activist Tommy Robinson had made Islamophobic statements about the match and planned protests.

One school near the stadium confirmed to AFP it was closing early to avoid disruption, with others reportedly planning to do the same.

"There's a lot of anxiety," Robert Hussain, a 55-year-old volunteer for a local mosque told AFP.

But the first two hours of the protests passed largely peacefully, with police saying they made six arrests for offences ranging from racial aggravation to failing to comply with a dispersal order.

- 'Bringing people together' -

Villa said they would not sell tickets for their own fans in the away end of their stadium, meaning that section was vacant when the match got underway.

Local resident Michael Harrison, 38, said Israeli fans should have been given tickets to attend the match.

"The game, it's about bringing people together," he said, adding he understood the fears but the fans could have been searched properly.

Maccabi Tel Aviv's decision to turn down tickets also came after Israeli police called off an Israeli Premier League match between the club and city rivals Hapoel because of "riots" between rival fans.

The team has insisted its supporters were not involved in the unrest and criticised "hate-filled falsehoods" about its supporters for creating a "toxic atmosphere".

Ayoub Khan, the independent MP for the area covering Villa Park who was elected last year on a pro-Palestinian ticket, said there was a "large concentration of Muslims" in the local area who had voiced fears about racism.

Aston Villa urged supporters not to display political symbols during the match a practice banned under protocols issued by UEFA, the governing body of European football.

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