Why will there be more than 700 police at the Aston Villa vs. Maccabi Tel Aviv match?

“We know that protests by various groups will be held that day, and we have plans in place to balance the right to protest with our duty to protect all communities in Birmingham,” Birmingham Police Chief Tom Joyce said Monday.

According to the 2021 census, externalThe Aston Park area surrounding Villa Park has a Muslim population of 70.2%.

Planned protests at the stadium include one by pro-Palestinian groups, who want the match cancelled. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the Stop the War Coalition, the Muslim Association of Britain, the Friends of Al-Aqsa, the Kashmir Solidarity Campaign, and the Palestinian Forum in Britain participated in organizing the protest.

There may also be counter-protests in support of Israel.

There have been mass arrests at protests in support of the Palestine Action Organization – a British pro-Palestinian group that was banned under the Terrorism Act 2000 in July 2025.

There is also the possibility of protests inside the ground.

“For fans attending the match on Thursday evening, there will be multiple ticket checks on approach to the stadium,” West Midlands Police wrote on social media on Wednesday.