"Hundreds of protesters have descended on Birmingham ahead of the controversial Aston Villa match against Maccabi Tel Aviv. A huge police operation with more than 700 officers, dogs, horses and drones is under way for the Uefa Europa League match, which kicks off at 20:00 GMT. Ch Supt Tom Joyce said several groups had been expected to protest, including pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli campaigners, in the wake of the controversial decision to ban away fans from the game."
""We police football matches a lot. We police protests a lot. We deal with all sorts of public order scenarios, but certainly the level of interest, the level of concern around this match is pretty unprecedented," he said. Reuters Police arrested six people before the match started, three on suspicion of racially-aggravated public order offences. A man, 21, was arrested for failing to comply with an order to remove a face mask,"
Hundreds of protesters gathered in Birmingham ahead of the Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv Uefa Europa League match after a decision to ban away fans. A large policing deployment exceeding 700 officers included dogs, horses and drones, with additional officers brought in from ten forces. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators waved flags and banners calling for an end to violence in Gaza while pro-Israeli campaigners staged a counter-protest and marched outside Villa Park. Flatbed vehicles displayed electronic billboards opposing antisemitism with messages such as "Ban hatred not fans." Police made several arrests for public order offences and non-compliance.
Read at www.bbc.com
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