British police deployed around 700 officers in the city of Birmingham on Thursday ahead of Aston Villa’s Europa League football match against Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Maccabi Tel Aviv fans are not attending the game, but nevertheless police anticipate protests in support of both Palestinians and Israelis following a contentious and uncertain few weeks in the build-up to the game as the supporter situation was settled.
West Midlands police said there would be a large police presence in the center of Birmingham, Britain’s second-largest city and home to a large Muslim population, and around the stadium, which is located in a residential area near dozens of homes.
“We know protests by different groups will take place on the day, and we have plans in place which balance the right to protest with our duty to protect all communities in Birmingham,” Chief Superintendent Tom Joyce said.
“People not attending the event should expect significant disruption to the roads in the area on the evening, and we’d urge people to avoid the area where possible,” he said.
Why are no Maccabi fans attending the match?
The original decision to prevent supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv from traveling was not made by Aston Villa or European football’s governing body, UEFA, or the British government, but rather by local authorities in the West Midlands.
They cited advice from police services and attributed the decision to a combination of current intelligence on potential threats and past events elsewhere.
This decision prompted fierce criticism, however, and before long British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would overturn the decision and facilitate away fans traveling to the game.
Soon after that, though, Maccabi Tel Aviv said it would not accept any away tickets for its supporters, saying it had become concerned for their safety in Birmingham. Some supporters were seen outside the stadium on matchday, however.
Amsterdam unrest last year, Tel Aviv postponement last month
Maccabi supporters have gained a reputation in Israel and Europe.
A match against Ajax in Amsterdam last November led to a relatively serious diplomatic incident between Israel and the Netherlands.
After reports of Maccabi fans chanting anti-Arab slogans, destroying Palestinian flags and causing other disruptions in the city, some Amsterdam residents chased and assaulted some of the team’s supporters.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government arranged a flight to bring the fans home and issued scathing criticism of their treatment.
More recently, Israeli authorities also postponed last month’s city derby between Maccabi and Hapoel Tel Aviv following rioting and violence in the stands in the build-up to the game.
Villa in strong shape, Maccabi struggling near halfway phase
The match is the fourth of eight for both clubs in the league phase of the competition.
Aston Villa currently look well placed to reach the knockout phases, with two wins and a defeat so far in the competition putting them 12th in the standings.
Maccabi, meanwhile, have drawn one game and lost two, leaving them third from bottom in the standings ahead of Thursday’s match.
Edited by: Zac Crellin
