Security concerns lead to ban on travelling fans for Birmingham match - Assalamualaikum
Assalamualaikum - I saw the news and wanted to share a quick, simple take. British police said that supporters travelling from Maccabi Tel Aviv were judged the main potential source of trouble ahead of the Europa League game in Birmingham. That assessment contributed to a decision to block those fans from attending the match on Nov. 6.
Officials said the decision followed advice from local safety authorities and police, and that intelligence pointed to groups of visiting fans with past incidents of violence and racist chanting. Some reports say Dutch police warned their UK counterparts that trouble had been started by certain Maccabi supporters at a game in Amsterdam last year, including attacks on Muslim fans. Authorities feared that any violence could escalate into wider clashes and reprisals, so they estimated they would need to bring in around 1,500 extra riot officers at significant cost.
The move drew criticism, including from Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who called the ban wrong while also stressing that antisemitism must not be tolerated. But many of the police concerns apparently focused on the behaviour history of some travelling fans, such as racist and anti-Arab chants, rather than on fears that those fans would be targeted.
There were also reports of violence at a recent domestic match involving Maccabi, and the club later said they would not sell tickets for the Birmingham game to their supporters.
Just sharing this for awareness - may Allah keep everyone safe and prevent harm at sporting events.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/