British pro-Israeli campaigners are planning to protest during Aston Villa’s Europa League game against Maccabi Tel Aviv amid fears their cause will be hijacked by Tommy Robinson.
Our Fight – set up in the wake of the Oct 7, 2023, terrorist attacks on the Middle East state – has told Telegraph Sport it is organising a demonstration outside Villa Park on Nov 6 over the ban on Maccabi fans attending the game that evening.
That decision has raised the prospect of at least three rival factions descending on Villa’s home ground, after far-Right activist Robinson – real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – indicated he would turn up, and an Islamist preacher urged his followers to “show no mercy” to visiting supporters.
Last week, when Maccabi fans were banned from the the European match, Our Fight announced it would go to Villa Park carrying placards featuring the Union flag, Star of David and the slogan: “We stand with British Jews.”
Maccabi Tel Aviv fans have been banned from attending their Europa League tie at Villa Park – Getty Images/Robin van Lonkhuijsen
Following Maccabi’s decision not to accept their allocation of tickets for the match despite moves to overturn the ban, Mark Birbeck, the campaign group’s founder, told Telegraph Sport it was now planning to protest outside the ground.
“It would almost certainly be about being outside and showing solidarity,” he said. “Between now and then, I would hope that we could try to get some local people involved as well. Because, as you’ve probably seen, there are other people who are trying to get involved as well, and not, perhaps, in the most healthy of ways.”
Confirming he meant Robinson, who last week posted a photograph on X of himself in a Maccabi shirt along with the caption, “Who’s coming to support Maccabi Tel Aviv at Villa Park on November 6th???”, Mr Birbeck added: “Even if he has the best of intentions, it’s not going to go well, probably. Because we’re not looking to have a confrontation with the local community or anything like that. What we’d want to highlight is the antisemitism, the nature of having no-go areas or activities that Jews or Israelis are not welcome at.”
Asked whether Our Fight was in talks with other groups about joining its protest, he replied: “Probably best not to name them in case they decide not to get involved. But there are a few.”
Maccabi rejected their match allocation amid fears Robinson could infiltrate their fans, a decision to which Villa responded by announcing only supporters with a purchase history dating back before this season would be able to buy tickets.
Aston Villa also said there would be a ban on political symbols, messages and flags inside the ground and that anyone found breaching it would be ejected.
Telegraph Sport has approached West Midlands Police for comment on whether protestors would be allowed to demonstrate outside the ground.
Mr Birbeck said he had been arrested “multiple times” demonstrating in support of British Jews, most recently while carrying the aforementioned placard on Oct 11 during a Palestine Solidarity Campaign march in London.
He said he had spent “12 hours in a cell” before being told on Tuesday that he would face no further action.
But he insisted he was willing to work with West Midlands Police to facilitate a peaceful protest, admitting he and his supporters would be putting their “safety” at risk by demonstrating outside Villa Park, which is on the doorstep of one of Britain’s largest Muslim communities.
Last week’s ban on Maccabi fans came just hours after Asrar Rashid, a Birmingham-based Muslim cleric, made it clear that Israeli supporters would face serious, potentially dangerous, hostilities next month.
In a video address that rapidly went viral on X, he said: “We will not show mercy to Maccabi Tel Aviv fans travelling to Birmingham for the Aston Villa FC match.”
Mr Birbeck said: “For all we know, we’ll be met off the train by people who don’t agree with our viewpoint. So, we will have to take this all very seriously.”
