West Midlands Police to deploy 700 officers for Aston Villa-Maccabi Tel Aviv match - The Jewish Chronicle

West Midlands Police will deploy more than 700 officers for Thursday’s Europa League match between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv after announcing that supporters of the Israeli side will be banned from attending the game on Thursday.

A “large policing operation” is underway to ensure Birmingham’s “reputation as a safe and welcoming place for everyone” is maintained, according to the force, which will also utilise police horses and dogs, a drone unit, a road policing unit and “protest liaison officers”.

The mass deployment is aimed at “keeping the public safe”, with officers arresting “anyone who engages in crime and disorder”.

In a statement, Birmingham Police commander, chief superintendent Tom Joyce, said: “Our message to those from all communities in Birmingham is that we have listened and will continue to engage with you.

“We remain committed to maintaining the city’s reputation as a safe and welcoming place for everyone.”

Thursday’s fixture became a topic of national debate last month when Birmingham's Safety Advisory Group (SAG) – the body responsible for issuing safety certificates for matches that is made up of representatives of the police, Birmingham City Council, fire and ambulance services – announced that no away fans would be permitted at the match, on safety grounds.

The ban was widely condemned by senior politicians, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who described the move as the “wrong decision”.

He said: "We will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets" and that the role of police was "to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation".

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch branded the decision a "national disgrace".

Although there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to policing a football match – with the teams playing, size of stadium and city, amongst other considerations, all impacting the numbers of police in attendance – the decision to send 700 officers to Villa Park has been labelled “unprecedented”.

The average number of police officers present at London Premier League games during the 2023-24 season ranged from 43 for Brentford matches to 190 for Spurs home games, according to figures from the Metropolitan Police. The number being deployed for the Aston Villa vs Maccabi Tel Aviv match is nearly quadruple the figure present at Spurs matches that year.

Acknoeldging the strong police presence planned, chief superintendent Joyce said: “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.”

He added: “Anyone who breaks the law will be dealt with directly, as will those who incite hate."

Both the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Our Fight UK, a group comprising mainly non-Jews challenging perceived antisemitism in the UK, are planning protests for Thursday.

While many of the of those who campaigned for and supported the ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans originally claimed to be doing so on safety grounds, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign is instead protesting against the visiting team’s participation outright, and is calling for what it brands “genocidal Israel” to be “excluded from international football”.

Our Fight UK said: “We cannot allow these divisive politicians to decide who can and cannot watch a football match – not least in a major British city. We cannot allow the police to crumble in the face of pressure from one community at the expense of another.”

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