Middle East Eye: A local police football ban in the UK has caused a nationwide political debate and international sporting scandal. What’s going on?
The debacle began last Thursday, when the UK’s West Midlands Police announced a ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans attending an upcoming match against Aston Villa in Birmingham.
Referencing “violent clashes and hate crime offenses” during a match in Amsterdam last year, the police said the measure aimed to “mitigate risks to public safety”.
In November, a Maccabi Tel Aviv game against Ajax Amsterdam led to scenes of violence on the streets. Israeli football fans marched through Amsterdam defacing Palestine flags and chanting racist slogans. Locals responded with violent, and at times, antisemitic attacks. Five people were hospitalised and 62 people arrested.
But after Birmingham council and police announced a similar ban, the UK government pushed back.
No comments:
Post a Comment