BIRMINGHAM, England (Reuters) -Pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli supporters demonstrated outside the politically-charged Europa League soccer match between Aston Villa and Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday but there were only a handful of arrests as the game kicked off without major disruptions.
The match at Villa Park, Birmingham was held under a massive security operation. Six people were arrested, according to West Midlands Police, including a 21-year-old man for failing to comply with an order to remove a face mask, and a 17-year-old boy for failing to comply with a dispersal order.
Three others were arrested for racially aggravated public offences and one person for a breach of the peace.
Despite fears of violent clashes after the match was classified as “high risk”, the protests remained largely peaceful after police had deployed more than 700 officers in the centre of Birmingham, which has a large Muslim population, and around the stadium.
Around 200 pro-Palestinian demonstrators waved flags, with some chanting anti-Israel slogans.
A smaller pro-Israeli counter-protest of about 40 people carried signs that read “Keep Anti-Semitism Out of Football” and “No Tolerance for Jew Hatred”. A woman holding up an Israeli flag was led away by police.
Pockets of fans briefly clashed with pro-Palestinian demonstrators shortly before kickoff but were separated by police.
With Israeli sports teams a focus for pro-Palestinian protests during the Gaza conflict and Villa initially saying away fans would be barred on police advice, Maccabi reluctantly opted not to accept tickets for visiting supporters.
Police told Sky News on Thursday that they banned Maccabi fans due to “significant levels of hooliganism” in the fan base jeopardising safety around the match – rather than threats to visiting Israelis.
“I’m aware there’s a lot of commentary around the threat to the (Maccabi) fans being the reason for the decision. To be clear, that was not the primary driver. That was a consideration,” West Midlands Police Chief Superintendent Tom Joyce told Sky.
“We have intelligence and information that says that there is a section of Maccabi fans, not all Maccabi fans, but a section who engage in quite significant levels of hooliganism.”
PAST VIOLENCE
Last November, more than 60 people were arrested in Amsterdam after clashes around a match between Maccabi and Ajax.
Police said anti-Israeli gangs on scooters chased and beat Maccabi fans. Five people were treated in hospital.
Video verified by Reuters showed Maccabi fans in the days before the game chanting anti-Arab slogans. Police said Maccabi supporters burned a Palestinian flag, pulled down another and vandalised a taxi. The mayor later said she would not host Maccabi again.
(Reporting by Michael Holden, Lori Ewing; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Christian Radnedge)
