Israelis should be welcome in Birmingham

[mids2019]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15206171/Parts-Birmingham-no-area-Jews-says-Ed-Miliband-ministers-scramble-allow-Israeli-fans-attend-Aston-Villa-football-match.html

The government need to act on this. West Midlands police have more than enough man power to police a football match with at most 1000 away fans. I watched West Midlands politics today and there was a politician brazenly saying part of the reason for effectively banning the Tel Aviv fans was they there was 'a moral point about Gaza'. We cannot have local councillors, community leaders and MPs agitating for the anti Semitic ban of fans of one of Israel's premier football teams.

We have to face reality want know that a lot of local residents are anti Israel and have taken this opportunity for VIlla Park to become a no go area for Jews.

Let's hope the decision is overturned and quickly.

Oh but noooo this was never about gaza we were told. It was only about a few football hooligans allegedly.

Absolutely sickening and the pro pal flag wavers there proved what we all knew from the start.

From WMP:

Eleven people, all men or boys, have now been arrested in the area:

• A 63-year-old man arrested for a racially aggravated public order offence after he was heard shouting racist abuse during a road rage incident near Villa Park
• A 21-year-old man arrested after refusing to remove a face covering while a Section 60 order was in place
• A 17-year-old who was issued with a dispersal order but refused to leave
• A 34-year-old arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence after shouting abuse towards pro-Israel demonstrators
• A 29-year-old man arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence after shouting abuse towards pro-Israel demonstrators. He was also arrested for possession of class B drugs
• A 67-year-old man arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence after shouting racist abuse at a police officer
• A 32-year-old man arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence after shouting racist abuse towards a pro-Palestine group
• A man aged 21 arrested after trying to throw fireworks into the ground
• A man arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply drugs.

You have your view point so you will see it as a ‘win’ that there was some minor trouble and arrests but the reality is that if the Maccabi fans had not been banned, there would have been significantly more trouble. Villa fans state it was mostly calm around the ground and they felt safe. The protests were peaceful for the most part and nobody was hurt.

You can almost feel the disappointment from the right that this did not escalate, but it didn’t. Police got it spot on.

Per your own article

11 arrests made outside the stadium

A 63-year-old man was arrested for a racially aggravated public order offence after he was heard shouting racist abuse during a road rage incident near Villa Park
A 21-year-old man arrested after refusing to remove a face covering while a Section 60 order was in place
A 17-year-old who was issued with a dispersal order but refused to leave
A 34-year-old was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence after shouting abuse towards pro-Israel demonstrators
A 29-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence after shouting abuse towards pro-Israel demonstrators. He was also arrested for possession of class B drugs
A 67-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence after shouting racist abuse at a police officer
A 32-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence after shouting racist abuse towards a pro-Palestine group
A man aged 21 was arrested after trying to throw fireworks into the ground
A man was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply drugs.

so at least one of the arrests was a pro-Israeli supporter. At least six weren’t related to the protest (racial abuse during a road rage incident, the s.60 offence, the dispersal order, racial abuse of a police officer, fireworks and PWITS).

that leaves two who were arrested for racism against the pro-Israeli protestors (unacceptable). The metro doesn’t list the two other arrests.

so of the 11, we can assume that only three were related to the protest.

not exactly hoards of anti semitic people is it? Obviously the two people who shouted racist abuse at the pro-Israel protestors are disgusting and I hope they’re dealt with with the full force of the law, but let’s not pretend this was some sort of mass rally. The vast majority of arrests just happened to occur at the match.

'You can almost feel the disappointment from the right that this did not escalate, but it didn’t. Police got it spot on'

The only reason it didn't escalates was because the pro pal flag wavers didn't have anyone to attack!

So yeah, ban the potential victims, what a strategy.

Well this is just bollocks seeing as a pro-Israeli protestor was arrested last night

Looking forward to @Gloriia refuting that one..

It does make me laugh that people will twist facts.

last night, 11 people were arrested at a football match. We’ve been given details of 9. At least 6 (2/3) were unrelated to Israel Palestine, yet it’s being used as a statistic to show it all kicked off. Yes, two people were arrested for racism against pro-Israeli protesters which is unacceptable. But I wonder if the pro-Israeli posters will condemn the pro-Israeli protestor who was arrested for racial abuse of a pro-Palestinian protestor?

'But I wonder if the pro-Israeli posters will condemn the pro-Israeli protestor who was arrested for racial abuse of a pro-Palestinian protestor?'

I condem racial abuse from any side.

However, back to the point their fans were banned because of the alleged previous violence. It was never about gaza as we saw on this very thread.

Yet we saw crowds of pro pal flag wavers with their tedious gaza placards proving it wasn't ever about 'football hooligans' and all about preventing a clash with the goady locals.

But it wasn’t just pro-Palestine protestors there was it? There were also far right groups and pro-Israeli protestors.

why are you only painting one of the three as violent when there are at least one arrest from the pro-Israeli side and potentially arrests from the far right protestors?

Ban face coverings, facial recognition software can then get a database of persistent troublemakers. Especially those that have come from a distance to join in.
I see at least one arrest for refusal to remove a face covering, bet he wasn't the only one covered.

Completely agree - face coverings should be banned altogether.

Israel should be banned from all sporting events.

Totally agree, treat them like we treated apartheid South Africa.

And she has no answer as to why she only thinks one of the three groups is violent

Sneering? It was a football match remember not a protest.

Away fans banned because of previous incidences allegedly. It was never about gaza we were told, so what pray tell were they doing with their silly placards hmm? Surely their support should have been for Aston villa?!

Why were far right and Israeli protestors there too? Why are they allowed but not pro Palestine

You’re sneering again.

Because we all knew it would become a pro pal protest so a minority opposed that. It was nothing about supporting Aston villa and by banning a Jewish side it gave out the wrong message.

If they'd said from the beginning 'we can't guarantee the safety of away fans due to local hostilities' the whole thing could have been diffused.

Did you see any pro Aston Villa placards by any chance?

I’m going to bet the vast majority of people there were Villa fans attending the match.

Interesting that you’re fine with protests, as long as they agree with you.

Is 'sneering' the new 'boycott'? Everyone's favourite word today. I'm commenting. Fixed that for you.

Why is it 'sneering' to say a football match is not the correct place for a pro pal protest. C&P the actual 'sneer' please, I'm all ears.

I think Gloriia also forgets that football has always been and will always be inherently political

'Interesting that you’re fine with protests, as long as they agree with you'z

I'm fine with protests as long as they don't use an opportunity like this to spout their cause. It wasn't about gaza remember oh but wait it seems it was.

So you’re fine with a pro-Israel protest that involved racism? Because that is what happened last night. And the far right protestors who were potentially arrested for racial hatred last night?

Look. I cba to trawl back but it was repeated ad nauseam on this very thread thst this wasn't about gaza,it wasn't about Jews, that was all absolutely irrelevant! It was a purely unrelated thing about a minority of violent fans.

Yet we saw lots of frothing, angry men shouting about gaza and waving things in support. They maybe didn't get the 'only mention the footie thugs' memo, who knows.