Pro-Palestine protesters have descended on Birmingham ahead of Aston Villa’s match against Maccabi Tel Aviv with Israeli fans also showing their support by waving flags outside the ground.
The two groups defied a police ring of steel at Villa Park as tensions rose ahead of the Champions League clash on Thursday night.
Hours before kick-off, hundreds of police officers, as well as scores of riot vans, dog units and drones, took their positions in Birmingham amid fears of mob violence spilling out onto the streets and Jewish fans being ‘hunted down’.
Visiting fans are technically banned from attending the fixture, after a controversial decision made by West Midlands Police last month which received widespread condemnation including from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Such is the fear of heightened tensions between Palestinian supporters and pro-Israeli campaigners that nearby schools closed early on Thursday, while West Midlands Police has beefed up its numbers as part of a ‘significant’ operation to ‘keep everyone in Birmingham safe’.
A no-fly zone will be placed around Villa Park for the duration of the Europa League match, which is set to kick off at 8pm.
Earlier today Birmingham Police commander, Chief Supt Tom Joyce, said the force ‘remain committed to maintaining the city’s reputation as a safe and welcoming place for everyone.’
He said: ‘Our message to those from all communities in Birmingham is that we have listened and will continue to engage with you.
Pro-Palestine protesters pictured outside Villa Park hours before Aston Villa’s Champions League match against Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv
A protester pictured with a ‘stop starving Gaza’ placard on Thursday night
Israeli fans showing their support by waving flags on the streets. The two groups defied a police ring of steel
A woman holding an Israeli flag gets dragged away by police officers as tempers flare ahead of Thursday’s match
Hours before kick-off, hundreds of police officers, as well as scores of riot vans, dog units and drones took their positions in Birmingham
Campaign group Palestine Solidarity Campaign protesting outside the ground in Birmingham on Thursday
Demonstrators wave Palestinian flags in Birmingham ahead of the match. There were fears of mob violence in the lead-up to the game
‘Anyone who breaks the law will be dealt with directly, as will those who incite hate.
‘We have been working closely with partners including Birmingham City Council, Aston Villa Football Club, our colleagues in other emergency services, as we put in place our significant policing operation.
‘People can expect to see a large number of uniformed officers, as well as police horses, police dogs, our drone unit, road policing unit, protest liaison officers and others.’
Chief Supt Joyce warned those in the area to expect ‘significant disruption to the roads’ and urged those who could to avoid the area, stating the force would do everything they could to ‘maintain the King’s peace’.
‘We know protests by different groups will take place on the day,’ he said ‘and we have plans in place which balance the right to protest with our duty to protect all communities in Birmingham.
‘We are experienced at policing high profile football matches and demonstrations, and for many weeks now, we have been working closely with different faith and local community groups to listen to their views and concerns.
‘Our goal throughout planning for this match is to ensure people can enjoy the football fixture while we continue to keep everyone in Birmingham safe, facilitate peaceful protest and maintain the King’s peace.’
Meanwhile West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster said everyone attending the match, in whatever capacity, had a personal responsibility to behave in a way that is disciplined, respectful and ‘mindful of our duty of care to each other’.
Football fans pictured with Israeli flags on the streets of Britain’s second city ahead of the football match
Nearly a thousand police officers, scores of riot vans, dog units and drones have descended on Birmingham just hours before Aston Villa’s clash against Maccabi Tel Aviv
A no-fly zone will be placed around Villa Park for the duration of the Europa League match
Birmingham Police commander, Chief Supt Tom Joyce, said the force ‘remain committed to maintaining the city’s reputation as a safe and welcoming place for everyone’
Mr Foster said: ‘Whatever one’s views about events, leading up to this evening’s football match, there is one matter and one matter alone, about which we must all agree. The safety and security of everyone involved, must be the one and only top priority.‘
The scale of the police operation is unprecedented given that – officially – no supporters of the visiting side will be present.
Maccabi Tel Aviv – the only Israeli side to reach the league stage of the European competition this season – have seen their fans banned from attending the match by Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group after West Midlands Police last month deemed the fixture ‘high risk’.
This prompted widespread public and political criticism, including from Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who branded the move as the ‘wrong decision’ and akin to ‘antisemitism’.
Maccabi later said it would reject any offer of tickets amid concerns the fixture would be hijacked by those seeking to score political points.
But pro-Palestine protesters have continued to campaign against the match taking place at all and have called for Israeli teams to be suspended from UEFA and FIFA.
The enlarged police presence in the UK’s second city arrived just hours after gangs of masked Muslim protesters posted ‘Zionists not welcome’ signs around the streets of Birmingham.
Footage emerged overnight of Muslim protesters, dressed all in black and wearing hoodies and balaclavas, taking to the streets close to Aston Villa’s home ground to place signs and Palestinian flags on lamp posts and telegraph poles ahead of the clash.
West Midlands Police has beefed up its numbers as part of a ‘significant’ operation to ‘keep everyone in Birmingham safe’
Police chiefs have called on everyone to behave in a way that is disciplined, respectful and ‘mindful of our duty of care to each other’
The scale of the police operation is unprecedented given that – officially – no supporters of the visiting side will be present
Pro-Palestine protesters have continued to campaign against the match taking place and have called for Israeli teams to be suspended from UEFA and FIFA
The enlarged police presence in the UK’s second city arrived just hours after g angs of masked Muslim protesters posted ‘Zionists not welcome’ signs around the streets of Birmingham
They read ‘No war games allowed’, ‘Give Zionists the red card’, ‘Shooting babies in Gaza, playing games in Birmingham’ and include the hashtag #ZionistsNotWelcome’.
Another states: ‘If you see a Zionist call the anti-terrorism hotline’.
One of the protesters can be seen sitting on the exterior wall of the stadium waving a Palestinian flag, as just metres away – through the bars of the railings – an Aston Villa security guard can be seen walking around the pitch.
As the video ends, the noise of a clock ticking can be heard with a chilling image of far-right activist Tommy Robinson wearing a Maccabi Tel Aviv football shirt – and a blood spatter across his chest.
This is likely a reference to a declaration made last month by Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, to support banned Maccabi Tel Aviv fans by posing in a team shirt on social media.
The move was said to have been the ‘final straw’ for the club in deciding to reject any offer of tickets for away fans over fears that Robinson’s supporters could emulate him and pose as Maccabi fans to stir up violence.
There are also fears some Israeli-supporting fans could buy tickets from touts to evade the imposed ban.
Having reviewed the footage, two prominent politicians told the Daily Mail the activities filmed last night amounted to ‘vile antisemitism’ and called on authorities to remove the signs.
Gangs of masked Muslim protesters have posted ‘Zionists not welcome’ signs around Birmingham just hours before Aston Villa’s clash against Maccabi Tel Aviv, amid fears of mob violence spilling out onto streets and Jewish fans being ‘hunted down’
Footage has emerged overnight of Muslim protesters taking to the streets close to Aston Villa’s home ground to place signs and Palestinian flags on lamp posts and telegraph poles
Having reviewed the footage, two prominent politicians told the Daily Mail the activities filmed last night amounted to ‘vile antisemitism’ and called on authorities to remove the signs
Lord Austin, a former Labour MP and lifelong Aston Villa fan, said: ‘This is a hate crime against Jews. I expect the police to urgently investigate and find the culprits.
‘The local authority needs to be out immediately to remove these despicable signs.
‘What should have been an exciting night of European football has been turned into a circus of extremism and antisemitism.
‘Politicians and so-called community leaders, including an imam, have whipped this up and should be ashamed for their role in spreading division and fear in Birmingham.’
Shadow sports minister Louie French said: ‘Aston Villa are a fantastic football club with a proud history.
‘But tonight’s match against Maccabi Tel Aviv is taking place under a dark cloud of hatred towards Israelis and Jews, which has evidently been whipped up for months by sectarian politics and the local MP.
‘There should be no place in British sports or Parliament for this vile antisemitism.’
Robinson has also added his thoughts, clarifying he would not be attending tonight’s match.
One of the protesters can be seen sitting on the exterior wall of the stadium waving a Palestinian flag, as just metres away – through the bars of the railings – an Aston Villa security guard can be seen walking around the pitch
The hooded and masked activists attached Palestinian flags to telegraph poles just metres away from the grounds of Aston Villa’s stadium
Pro-Palestinian protesters have been calling for Israel to be suspended from UEFA and FIFA
Lord Austin, a former Labour MP and lifelong Aston Villa fan, called on authorities to find those responsible and ‘remove these despicable signs’
Posting a video this morning to his 1.7million followers on X, Robinson warned that Muslim extremists would ‘hunt down’ any Maccabi Tel Aviv fans trying to attend and that they want ‘the whole of the UK to be a Jew-free zone’.
He said: ‘Islam is about to show it’s the dominant force on Britain.
They already have because the Birmingham police had to, for safety reasons, ban any Tel Aviv fans coming to the city because they knew what would happen – they would be hunted down, they’d be violently attacked.
‘But not happy with that, the Muslim community is now saying they don’t want the Tel Aviv football team.
‘They want the whole of Birmingham, the whole of the UK to be a Jew-free zone.
‘They will [have balaclavas], masked up, with weapons. They will be hunting around the stadium.
‘I will be surprised if the game is able to go ahead.’
In the run-up to the game, local businesses have been displaying posters for a rally organised on Thursday night calling for Israel to be suspended from UEFA and FIFA.
As the video ends, the noise of a clock ticking can be heard with a chilling image of far-right activist Tommy Robinson wearing a Maccabi Tel Aviv football shirt – and a blood spatter across his chest
It is understood to have been organised by Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Stop the War Coalition, Muslim Association of Britain, Palestinian Forum Britain, CND, Stand Up To Racism and other organisations.
The protest will assemble just before the match at Aston Park Pavilion, a short distance from Villa Park.
Publicising the demonstration, the group said: ‘Israeli football is deeply involved in Israel’s oppression of Palestinians.
‘The Israel Football Association, of which Maccabi Tel Aviv is a member, contains at least six clubs based in illegal Israeli settlements on stolen Palestinian land.
‘Maccabi Tel Aviv has itself supported Israel’s genocide in Gaza by sending care packages to serving Israeli soldiers.’
Demonstrators have warned to expect a ‘chemical reaction of emotion’ which could lead to ‘complete chaos’ despite earlier promising a peaceful protest.
Muhammad Ali, 33, said: ‘I’m a Brummie, I’ve lived here most of my life. I was actually born in Aston and grew up around the Villa stadium.
‘We feel like they should be thrown out of FIFA and UEFA and we should not have a genocidal state represented within football in the UK specifically, but also throughout the world.
Fans of Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv have been banned from watching their team tonight
‘It’s incredibly important to put pressure on the state that is enacting a genocide on the population of Gaza and this is one way of doing it.
‘There is no problem with Jews, there’s plenty of Jews in Birmingham we are not targeting Jews in any way, shape or form.
‘This is purely against Israel as a state and the actions that Israel is taking against Palestinians.’
Rob Horsfield, 33, added: ‘We should not be allowing these Israeli teams to participate in sporting and cultural events because essentially Israel has committed a genocide and international norms demand that Israel does not get to participate in the normal international community.
‘We are here to tell Maccabi Tel Aviv that they are not welcome in Birmingham.
‘They are not welcome in any part of Britain but we are proud to have this city be the first place to tell them to do one.’
Naeem Malik, 74, said: ‘Maccabi Tel Aviv needs to be kicked out of football.
‘Their country and players are accused of committing genocide in Gaza.
‘Most of them would have served in the IDF, the Israeli Defense Force, or the occupation force and have committed crimes over the last so many, many decades.
‘I don’t think they should be playing here. Countries that are actually playing football in occupied lands should not be members of FIFA or in UEFA.
‘The Israeli team should be boycotted as should their other sporting, cultural and arts organisations while the people of Israel continue to enlist and support an ongoing genocide committed by the Israeli state.’
A counter-protest nearby has been organised by pro-Israel group, Our Fight. It described the ban on Maccabi fans as ‘a damning indictment of the current state of Britain’s politics.’
In a statement, director Mark Birbeck said: ‘It is a shocking and troubling line that has been crossed, when extremist activists have been able to so easily manipulate our civic institutions in order to pursue their agenda of division.
‘We would like as many people as possible to join us for a peaceful, solidarity rally, and show the world that these politicians are marginal — they do not represent Villa, they do not represent Birmingham, and they certainly do not represent the UK.’
Locals have expressed a sense of nervousness around the match taking place at all.
One business owner told the Guardian: ‘There’s a lot of anxiousness around here,’ Lase, 50, said. ‘For me, I don’t want [the match] to happen.
‘But local people don’t want it to happen – a lot of them because [of what is happening in] Palestine right now. You probably see a lot of Palestine flags here, so you see the feelings for it.’
According to the 2021 Census, the Aston Park area around Villa Park is 70.2 per cent Muslim.
Season ticket holder Jonathan Bradley, 43, of Moseley, said: ‘I haven’t missed a game for more than 20 years but I’ve decided to keep me and my son away tonight.
‘After the Legia Warsaw trouble the other year it’s just not worth the risk. Even though there’s no away fans everybody is worried it might all kick off.
‘Politics should never be brought into football – we just want to go and support our teams. Everyone should have the right to do that.
‘I don’t think a whole fan group should be banned from watching their club over reasons beyond their control. It’s a sad state of affairs, it really is.’
Fellow Villa fan Simon Henley,33, of Stechford, said: ‘I’m not going to let any extremists – no matter what side of the divide – put me off supporting my beloved football club.
‘I trust the police to have everything in order and I’ll support my team through thick and thin. It was a lose-lose situation whatever the club decided to do, we just want the fixture out of the way.’
Aston resident Tariq Lal, 29, added: ‘Everyone is worried about what might happen, the schools are closing early and some shops are too I believe. Everyone is anxious and on edge.’
Last month, West Midlands Police said it had reached the conclusion that the game was ‘high risk’ after having carried out a ‘thorough’ assessment ‘based on current intelligence and previous incidents, including violent clashes and hate crime offences that occurred during the 2024 Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam’.
The force added that its decision to ban supporters was based on concern about its ability to deal with potential protests relating to the war between Israel and Gaza.
Villa has already warned fans against displaying political symbols, messages or flags and have reminded supporters about not breaking UEFA rules. They have also said that only those who have bought tickets before this season will be able to buy a ticket.
