Police Clash with Protesters as Israeli Team Plays Tense Match
Sinister-looking men in balaclavas had placed hundreds of hostile signs overnight along with a banner on a motorway bridge reading, "Kick Israel out of Fifa." On Witton Road near Villa Park, there was very little claret and blue visible on Thursday. Instead, every lamppost was decorated with the red, green, white, and black flags of Palestine. Beneath them were cardboard placards with slogans like "No war games allowed" and "If you see a Zionist call the anti-terror hotline."
Visitors to the nearby mosque passed by one individual complaining about Israel "shooting babies in Gaza and playing games in Birmingham." This marked the tense reception for Maccabi Tel Aviv as their team bus moved slowly through the streets of Birmingham, Britain's second-largest city.
Protests Surround Stadium
At the time of Maccabi Tel Aviv's arrival, two noisy protests were underway on opposite sides of the stadium. One protest was organized by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, a Corbynist alliance active in London almost weekly since the Gaza conflict began. Their thousands of supporters carried signs demanding to "Show genocide the red card" and "Keep the racist scum out of Brum."
Counter-Protest by Our Fight Supporters
On the other side, Our Fight protesters carried Israeli flags and placards. They argued that their opponents were "extremists" driven by anti-Semitism.
"Kick Israel out of Fifa"
"No war games allowed"
"If you see a Zionist call the anti-terror hotline"
"Show genocide the red card"
"Keep the racist scum out of Brum"
"shooting babies in Gaza and playing games in Birmingham"
"extremists" motivated by anti-Semitism
Summary: The arrival of the Israeli team in Birmingham sparked intense protests from opposing groups, reflecting deep divisions and strong emotions related to the Gaza conflict.
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