Overview
- West Midlands Police deployed more than 700 officers, with horses, dogs, drones and Section 60 powers, as pro-Palestine demonstrators and a smaller pro-Israel rally gathered near Villa Park.
- The force reported 11 arrests overnight, including five on suspicion of racially aggravated offences, after early counts from the scene put the total at six.
- The away section remained shut after Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group instructed a ban based on police advice, and Maccabi later refused any allocation citing a toxic atmosphere for supporters.
- Police cited previous disorder involving a subset of Maccabi supporters — including clashes around last season’s Ajax fixture in Amsterdam — as a key factor in their risk assessment.
- The ban has been condemned by senior politicians and community groups as discriminatory, while police and safety officials frame it as a public-safety decision; the match finished 2-0 to Aston Villa without major in-stadium incidents.