West Midlands Police have arrested 11 people as part of an operation during Aston Villa’s Europa League match against Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Last month, Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were banned from attending Thursday’s match at Villa Park over safety concerns, prompting immediate criticism from politicians including Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The Israeli club subsequently announced in a statement that it would no longer sell tickets to fans for the match.
The decision to ban supporters was based on West Midlands Police’s concerns about the ability of police to deal with potential protests related to the war in Gaza.
Eleven people, all men or juveniles, were arrested in the area.
A 63-year-old man has been arrested for racially aggravated public order offense after he was heard shouting racist abuse during a street assault near Villa Park. A 21-year-old man has been arrested after refusing to remove his face covering while a Section 60 order was in place. A 17-year-old man who refused to leave despite being ordered to disperse was arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated public order violation. A 29-year-old man shouted abusive language at pro-Israel demonstrators and was arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated public order violation. A 67-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated public order offense after shouting a racial slur at a police officer A 32-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated public order offense after shouting a racial slur at a pro-Palestinian group A 21-year-old man was arrested after attempting to throw a firework into the ground Arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply drugs.
More than 700 police officers from 25 forces were on duty at Villa Park, with police horses, police dogs and a drone unit also taking part in the operation, which saw protests by a variety of groups.
Police briefed match officials on the emergency response plan should spectators enter the field during the match.
Before the match, around 200 protesters, including members of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, gathered near the Trinity Road stands at Villa Park, demanding Israel’s exclusion from international football.
Amid pro-Palestinian chants, Palestinian flags and banners calling for a boycott of Israel were also placed on the ground beside Trinity Road.
Police outside Villa Park ahead of Europa League match between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv
Five flatbed trolleys carrying electronic billboards with messages against anti-Semitism passed through the ground before kick-off.
One of the messages read “No fans, no hate” next to a Star of David, while the other featured Thierry Henry’s quote about how football brings people together, not goals.
About 40 protesters, some carrying Israeli flags and others holding posters reading “Keep anti-Semitism out of football”, gathered on the Witton Lane basketball court, near the Doug Ellis Stand, to hear from various speakers opposing the ban on Maccabi fans.
The Rev. Tim Gutman, founder of Christian Action Against Anti-Semitism, told the crowd that the protests were against “an ancient hatred and an ancient evil that has not stopped and is rising again in our time.”
Holding up a placard that read “Never Again Is Now,” he added: “As Christians, it’s important that we’re here to show that we support the fight and stop the hate.”
“This is a critical moment for the nation. You can’t have a no-go zone for Israeli soccer fans. You can’t have a no-go zone for Jews.”
Villa supporter Adam Selway arrived at the match wearing a scarf that was half in the colors of the home team and half of Maccabi Tel Aviv.
The 48-year-old said he was not making a political statement and sympathized with the fans who couldn’t attend, saying they just wanted to watch the football match.
“This is not a political issue, this is a football issue,” he said. “It’s not that Villa fans don’t want any of them here, it’s that Villa fans want away fans here.”
Who banned Maccabi Tel Aviv fans?
A statement from Aston Villa said the decision to ban supporters from Villa Park was “in accordance with instructions” from the Birmingham Safety Advisory Group (SAG) on advice from West Midlands Police.
The Safety Advisory Group is responsible for issuing match safety certificates.
However, the Government’s Health and Safety Executive’s website states that the Safety Advisory Group is “a non-statutory body and therefore has no legal powers or responsibilities and does not have the power to approve or prohibit the holding of events”.
The website adds: “Event organizers and others involved in the operation of an event have a primary legal obligation to ensure public safety.”
The UK Football Police Unit (UKFPU) was also involved in advising on the decision.
“The UKFPU has helped West Midlands Police access full details of past incidents in Amsterdam through the European Police Network, making all relevant information available to them,” it said in a statement.
“Following this, the Home Office was briefed by the UKFPU last week on potential issues and options that the Safety Advisory Group (SAG) may take, including restrictions on fan visits.”
Why did Maccabi Tel Aviv refuse to sell tickets to away fans?
Maccabi said in a statement: “The health and safety of our fans is our top priority and, given the hard lessons we have learned, we have taken the decision to decline the allocation offered on behalf of our away fans and our decision should be understood in that context.”
“I am hopeful that the situation will change and I am looking forward to playing in a sporting environment in Birmingham in the near future.”
This statement questioned the motives of those trying to justify the ban.
The club said: “We would like to thank the UK Government and police for their efforts in ensuring that both fans can safely attend the match, and appreciate the messages of support from across the football community and society.”
“Our first team is made up of Muslim, Christian and Jewish players, and our fan base also cuts across ethnic and religious lines. We have also worked tirelessly to eradicate racism among the more extreme elements of our fan base.
“It is clear that various deep-rooted groups are trying to denigrate Maccabi Tel Aviv’s fan base, but most of them do not have any racist or hooliganistic track, and are exploiting isolated incidents for their own social and political purposes.
“As a result of these hateful falsehoods, a toxic atmosphere has been created and the safety of fans wishing to attend is in grave doubt.”
