"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."
"We know protests by different groups will take place on the day, 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."
More than 700 police officers will be deployed for the Aston Villa versus Maccabi Tel Aviv Europa League fixture. Residents near Villa Park have been warned of significant disruption from policing. Supporters of the Israeli club were initially banned and the club ultimately did not take up their ticket allocation for safety reasons. Pro-Palestinian groups have called for the game to be cancelled and protests are planned. Senior West Midlands officers warned that anyone breaking the law or inciting hate will be dealt with, and outlined a large, multi-unit policing operation to protect the city and facilitate peaceful protest.
Read at ESPN.com
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