MASKED protesters have put up “Zionists not welcome” signs as tensions rise before Aston Villa’s Europa League clash against Maccabi Tel Aviv tonight.
Hundreds of cops are on red alert ahead of the Premier League outfit’s home game at Villa Park against Israeli side Maccabi which kicks off at 8pm.
A number of protest groups are understood to be targeting the game with demonstrations before kick-off on Thursday evening.
Nearby schools are closing their doors early, while more than 700 police officers have been deployed as part of a “significant” operation to “keep everyone in Birmingham safe”.
Cops also announced yesterday they would be using Section 60 powers near Villa Park this afternoon allowing them to stop and search people without the need to have reasonable grounds.
Pro-Palestine protesters have already made their feelings clear by displaying banners, posters and flags outside Villa Park today.
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Six weeks ago, there was even a chance the game might not go ahead, with calls for Israeli teams to be removed from international competitions.
But once a ceasefire was agreed last month, it became clear that Israeli club Maccabi would stay in the Europa League, and travel to Birmingham.
However, fears over clashes have seen nearby schools take precautions to close their doors early.
BOA Creative, Digital and Performing Arts Academy said it would shut at 1.15pm ahead of the Europa League game.
The Academy principal said in an email to parents that “a number of schools in the local area” were following suit in due to the planned “protests” associated with the match.
Mansfield Primary Academy, less than a mile from the stadium said it would also be closing at 2pm “due to the Villa match”.
A number of riot vans have already been seen parked nearby with officers gearing up for a potentially long afternoon and evening.
It comes after news emerged that 700 officers would be policing the match despite the ban on away fans.
Police horses and police dogs will be on hand with the additional cops in a “large policing operation.”
West Midlands Police Football Unit will be implementing “multiple ticket checks on the approach to the stadium”.
Police will be on red-alert as protests have been signalled from several groups including pro-Palestine, pro-Israel and potentially British nationalist groups.
Officers will also be out in force at the nearby Aston and Whitton train stations with plans to keep any opposing groups separated to lessen the danger of confrontation.
However, the Chair of West Midlands Palestine Solidarity Campaign has pledged there will be no violence from his organisation at a protest planned ahead of Aston Villa‘s game against Maccabi Tel Aviv this evening.
The group are calling for the match, which kicks off at 8pm, to be cancelled, along with Stop the War Coalition, Muslim Association of Britain, Friends of Al-Aqsa, Kashmir solidarity campaign and Palestinian Forum in Britain.
And with hundreds – possibly thousands – of marchers now expected, with some planning to demand the match is cancelled up to and even beyond kick-off, it ensures the atmosphere will be tense despite the absence of any Maccabi fans and the expectation of Villa Park benign barely half-full.
While Villa boss Unai Emery insisted his focus was on the game – his side need a win after their surprise defeat at Go Ahead Eagles two weeks ago – the scale of the police and security operation signals the reality.
Ever since Birmingham’s council-led Safety Advisory Group, in consultation with the Police, announced last month that Maccabi fans would not be allowed to watch the Europa League game, Villa found themselves unwittingly at the centre of global crosshairs.
The SAG cited incidents at previous Maccabi European games, including in Amsterdam last season, arguing that it made the match “high risk” and that a ban on travelling fans was required.
Thousands of tickets for the match remained unsold on Wednesday morning, and the away end will be closed rather than filled with home fans.
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Villa announced last month their ticketing policy for the match, insisting only fans with a purchase history prior to this season would be able to access a ticket.
But the possibility of protests appear to have put off many.
