Six people were arrested during protests surrounding Aston Villa's game against Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv in Birmingham.
A group of Palestine supporters gathered outside Villa Park about two hours before the 8pm kick off and were faced by a smaller group of protesters who were demonstrating against a total ban on Maccabi fans.
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A small group of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans gather outside Villa Park ahead of the Europa League football match against Aston Villa in Birmingham. Getty Images -
Pro-Palestinian protesters shout slogans during a demonstration near Villa Park, before a match that has been overshadowed by a ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters attending. AFP -
Some Maccabi Tel Aviv fans are making their presence felt outside the stadium, despite the ban. Getty Images -
More than 700 police officers have been stationed in and around Villa Park. AFP -
Campaign group Palestine Solidarity Campaign protesting on a street near Villa Park. PA -
Police officers outside Villa Park. AFP -
Protesters outside the stadium before the match. Reuters -
Police officers on the move towards Villa Park. AFP
A few fans of the Israeli club defied the ban on their club's supporters and posed for pictures outside Villa Park.
More than 700 police officers were at the venue for the tie, part of a huge security operation that also involved horses, dogs and a drone unit.
West Midlands Police said a man, 21, was arrested for failing to comply with an order to remove a face mask, while a 17-year-old was arrested for failing to comply with a dispersal order.
Three other people were arrested for racially aggravated public order offences and another person was arrested for breach of the peace.
West Midlands Police also announced on Wednesday night that it will be using Section 60 powers – the ability to “stop and search people without the need to have reasonable grounds”.
Anti-Israel posters were tied to the gates of the ground and to lampposts in the surrounding streets.
The group Palestine Solidarity Campaign had announced it was holding a protest before the match to demand Israel and its clubs are excluded from international football.
At about 6pm, 200 protesters, including members of the PSC, gathered near a children's park next to Villa Park's Trinity Road stand.
Video on social media showed demonstrators chanting "Death, death to the IDF" and "From the river to the sea".
One woman holding an Israeli flag in front of protesters was led away by police, with one man heard to shout "Allahu Akbar" at her.
Witnesses said the woman was ushered into a side street and spoken to by police before leaving the area.
A group of Aston Villa fans gathered opposite the pro-Palestinian protesters and began chanting at them, as police kept the two sides apart.
Meanwhile, about 40 protesters, one carrying an Israeli flag and others carrying posters saying "keep anti-Semitism out of football", gathered on a basketball court close to the ground to hear various speakers oppose the ban on Maccabi fans.
Five flatbed vehicles were earlier driven past the ground before the kick-off to the match, carrying electronic billboards showing messages opposing anti-Semitism.
One of the messages, beside a Star of David, read "Ban hatred, not fans" while another carried a quote from Thierry Henry saying that football is not about goals but bringing people together.
In a statement before the protest, the PSC said: “Israeli football is deeply involved in Israel’s oppression of Palestinians.
“The Israel Football Association, of which Maccabi Tel Aviv is a member, contains at least six clubs based in illegal Israeli settlements on stolen Palestinian land. Maccabi Tel Aviv has itself supported Israel’s genocide in Gaza by sending care packages to serving Israeli soldiers.”
Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group announced in October that visiting fans would be banned from attending the Villa Park clash because of public safety concerns.
Police have classified the fixture as "high risk", citing "violent clashes and hate crime offences" during a Europa League match in Amsterdam between Maccabi and Ajax last November. That game sparked two days of clashes between Dutch and Israeli fans in the city.
For this fixture, Maccabi reacted by announcing they would decline any away tickets for the match after the UK government said it was “working around the clock” to ensure fans from both sides could attend. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for the ban on away fans to be overturned, saying it was “the wrong decision”.
The chairman of the West Midlands Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Naeem Malik, said the protests were designed to be peaceful.
"There will be no violence from our side. We have been protesting in this city for over two years now, since these Gaza attacks have been going on, since the genocide is taking place," he told ITV.
Mr Malik said there are "more arrests" around football matches "than there are on our marches".
"They've all been very peaceful. There have been no attacks on anybody and there have been very, very few arrests, if any."
A pro-Israeli group has also organised a Maccabi Solidarity Rally to take place at the same time.
Some schools in the area are closing early to avoid any possible issues.
"Anyone who breaks the law will be dealt with directly, as will those who incite hate,” Birmingham police commander Chief Supt Tom Joyce said:
Maccabi Tel Aviv manager Zarko Lazetic said it was disappointing that his side’s supporters have been banned but he was keen to avoid any inflammatory remarks in his pre-match news conference.
Lazetic asked to keep the focus on football but agreed it would have been better if his side had their allocation of about 2,000 seats inside Villa Park.
Asked whether it was sad that there would be an empty away section, Serbian Lazetic said: “Yeah, of course. Unfair or fair, in the world I am not one to judge that, but on the pitch it is 11 against 11 and we will try to do our best.”
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A small group of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans gather outside Villa Park ahead of the Europa League football match against Aston Villa in Birmingham. Getty Images -
Pro-Palestinian protesters shout slogans during a demonstration near Villa Park, before a match that has been overshadowed by a ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters attending. AFP -
Some Maccabi Tel Aviv fans are making their presence felt outside the stadium, despite the ban. Getty Images -
More than 700 police officers have been stationed in and around Villa Park. AFP -
Campaign group Palestine Solidarity Campaign protesting on a street near Villa Park. PA -
Police officers outside Villa Park. AFP -
Protesters outside the stadium before the match. Reuters -
Police officers on the move towards Villa Park. AFP
Aston Villa fans have also been warned about displaying any political images or flags, in compliance with Uefa regulations, on an evening expected to be highly charged.
Earlier on Wednesday, journalists were told not to ask any non-football questions during Villa boss Unai Emery’s pre-match media conference at the training ground, where two Palestine supporters stood outside.
