❓WHAT HAPPENED: West Midlands Police classified an upcoming Aston Villa FC soccer game in Birmingham, England, as “high risk” after assessing public safety concerns, essentially banning Jewish fans from attending because of threats from local Muslims.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: West Midlands Police, Birmingham City Council, Aston Villa FC, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Birmingham Muslims, and Jewish soccer fans.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Previous incidents occurred during the 2024 Europa League match in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands; the upcoming game is in Birmingham on Thursday, November 6.
💬KEY QUOTE: “This decision is based on current intelligence and previous incidents, including violent clashes and hate crime offences.” – West Midlands Police spokesman
🎯IMPACT: Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters, a predominantly Jewish demographic, are prohibited from attending the game to mitigate risks to public safety.
West Midlands Police has classified an upcoming Aston Villa FC soccer game in Birmingham, England, as “high risk” following a “thorough assessment” of public safety concerns. The decision bans fans of Villa’s opponent, Maccabi Tel Aviv—a predominantly Jewish demographic—from attending the match to mitigate risks to public safety. According to the West Midlands Police, the decision was made after considering current intelligence and previous incidents of violence and hate crimes, as well as threats from local Muslims.
A spokesman for the police stated, “This decision is 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 November 2024 match in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, saw violence break out, leading to arrests. Amsterdam officials described the events as a “toxic combination of antisemitism, hooliganism, and anger” over the war in Gaza and other Middle Eastern conflicts.
Birmingham City Council issued a safety certificate for the upcoming game, but West Midlands Police has voiced its support for prohibiting away supporters from attending. “Based on our professional judgement, we believe this measure will help mitigate risks to public safety,” the spokesman added.
Protests over the war in Gaza have occurred at various sporting events, including during Israel’s national team matches in recent World Cup qualifiers.
The National Pulse reported in February 2024 that parts of Birmingham have become “no-go zones,” according to then-Member of Parliament (MP) Paul Scully. No-go zones are predominantly a phenomenon in European nations that have experienced significant migration from Muslim nations. However, Raheem Kassam, Editor-in-Chief of The National Pulse, has previously covered their emergence in the United States in a 2017 book on the subject.
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