LONDON (AP) — British police said Friday that 11 people were arrested the previous night around the highly charged Europa League soccer match in Birmingham between English Premier League side Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv, a match that saw fans of the Israeli team banned.
In an update Friday, West Midlands Police said five of those arrested were on suspicion of racially aggravated offenses. The others included failure to comply with orders and breaching the peace.
The police force deployed more than 700 officers around the Villa Park stadium over concerns of clashes between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli groups.
Though tensions were high ahead of the match, there were no serious incidents.
A pro-Palestine protest was held outside the stadium before kick-off, where hundreds turned up with Palestinian flags and anti-Israeli banners.
There was a flashpoint as a woman holding an Israeli flag walked past but she was quickly escorted away by police before it escalated.
There was also a counter-Israeli protest at the other side of Villa Park, with protesters holding up signs reading “Keep antisemitism out of football.” Five vehicles were driven past the ground carrying electronic billboards showing messages opposing antisemitism.
One of the messages, beside a Star of David, read “Ban hatred not fans” while another carried a quote from French soccer legend Thierry Henry saying football is not about goals but bringing people together.
The match, which Aston Villa won 2-0, was in the spotlight after officials in Birmingham decided last month to ban visiting fans from attending. The decision was widely criticized, including from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, but lauded by others, who said Maccabi fans have a recent history of violence.
West Midlands Police said it had deemed the match to be high risk “based on current intelligence and previous incidents,” including violence and hate crimes that took place when Maccabi Tel Aviv played Ajax in Amsterdam last season.
Following the furor, Maccabi announced they would decline any away tickets for the clash,
The ban came at a time of heightened worries about antisemitism in Britain following a deadly attack on a Manchester synagogue last month and calls from Palestinians and their supporters for a sports boycott of Israel over the war against Hamas in Gaza. Hopes that the recent ceasefire would ease tensions appear premature.
