LONDON (AP) – British police said Friday that 11 people were arrested the night before around a heated Europa League soccer match between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv in the English Premier League in Birmingham. Fans of the Israeli team were not allowed to enter the match.
Five of those arrested were arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated offences, West Midlands Police said in an update on Friday. Others include failure to comply with orders and breach of peace.
Police deployed more than 700 officers around Villa Park Stadium amid concerns of clashes between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel groups.
Tensions were high before the match, but there were no major accidents.
A pro-Palestinian protest took place outside the stadium before kick-off, with hundreds of people holding Palestinian flags and anti-Israel banners.
There was a flashpoint when a woman carrying an Israeli flag passed by, but she was quickly taken away by police before the situation escalated.
There were also anti-Israel protests on the other side of Villa Park, with protesters holding placards that read: “Eliminate anti-Semitism from football.” Five vehicles were on the ground carrying electronic billboards with messages against anti-Semitism.
One message read “No fans, no hate” next to a Star of David, while the other featured a quote from French soccer legend Thierry Henry, who said soccer is not about goals, but brings people together.
The match, which Aston Villa won 2-0, attracted attention last month after Birmingham authorities decided to ban visiting fans from attending the match. of This decision was widely criticizedHe praised them, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, but also others who said Maccabi fans had a history of recent violence.
West Midlands Police said the match was deemed to be a high risk “based on current information and past incidents”, including incidents of violence and hate crimes that occurred when Maccabi Tel Aviv played Ajax. in Amsterdam last season.
Following the uproar, Maccabi announced they would be refusing tickets to away matches.
The ban comes at a time of growing concern over anti-Semitism in the UK. Deadly attack on Manchester synagogue Last month, Palestinians and their supporters called for a boycott of Israeli sports over the war with Hamas in Gaza. Hopes that the recent ceasefire will ease tensions appear premature.
