More than 700 police deployed across the British city of Birmingham Thursday as protests were planned for a football match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Aston Villa, with visiting Israeli fans barred.
The UK government last month vowed to reverse the ban on Maccabi fans attending the Europa League match in the city in central England that has a significant Muslim population after widespread criticism against the decision by local safety advisors and police.
However, despite UK’s leftist prime minister Keir Starmer’s promise, the Israeli club later announced it would decline any tickets for its fans, citing safety concerns. Villa have said they are not selling tickets for the vacant away end of their Villa Park stadium.
Local police said protests by different groups were scheduled for Thursday near Villa Park, including a pro-Palestinian demonstration demanding Israel be excluded from international football.
Videos on social media showed signs near the stadium reading “no war games allowed” and “Zionists not welcome.”
