Overview
- West Midlands Police said they made 11 arrests around Villa Park, including suspected racially aggravated public order offences, an attempted fireworks throw into the ground and drug offences.
- Roughly 700 officers, supported by horses, dogs and a drone unit, enforced Section 60 stop-and-search powers and managed pro-Palestine demonstrations alongside a smaller counter-protest.
- The away section remained closed after Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group instruction and Maccabi’s refusal of any allocation, which the club linked to a “toxic atmosphere” and safety concerns.
- Protesters, including the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, urged football bodies to exclude Israel, while a counter-rally and mobile billboards highlighted messages opposing antisemitism.
- Prime Minister Keir Starmer had called the fan exclusion “the wrong decision,” but the game went ahead under restrictions and without serious incidents inside the stadium.