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Protesters have clashed with police as they tried to storm Villa Park ahead of Aston Villa's politically-charged Europa League match against Maccabi Tel Aviv. A small group of protesters appeared to try to get into the main entrance of the stadium around 25 minutes before kick off. Cops rushed to the stadium entrance to move the protesters away amid chaotic scenes as supporters tried to get into the stands. It comes as West Midlands Police said six people have been prior to kick off, including a teenage boy. A 17-year-old boy was arrested for failing to comply with a dispersal order, the force said. A 21-year-old has been arrested for failing to comply with an order to remove a face mask. Three people have been arrested for racially aggravated public order offences and one person for a breach of the peace, a spokesman added in an update. More than 700 police officers are on duty for the game amid concerns over potential disorder. It comes after West Midlands Police banned visiting fans from the game, sparking a huge political row. Sir Keir Starmer called on the force to reverse the ban. But Chief Superintendent Tom Joyce told Sky News that "significant levels of hooliganism" in the club's fan base was deemed to jeopardise the safety around the match, rather than threats to visiting Israelis. But tensions were high ahead of the match and protesters and counter-protests took place outside the stadium. Around 200 protesters, including members of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, gathered near a children’s playpark adjacent to the Trinity Road stand. Palestinian flags and banners calling for a boycott of Israel had also been placed on the ground beside Trinity Road amid pro-Gaza chants. Police officers briefly formed a cordon to prevent a surge of protesters after an Israeli flag was reportedly waved by a passer-by. Witnesses said the woman was ushered into a side street and spoken to by police before leaving the area. Five flatbed vehicles were driven past the ground prior to kick-off of the Europa League match, carrying electronic billboards showing messages opposing antisemitism. One of the messages, beside a Star of David, read “Ban hatred not fans” while another carried a quote from Thierry Henry saying football is not about goals but bringing people together. Villa supporter Adam Selway, 48, arrived for the match wearing a half-and-half scarf in the colours of the home side and Maccabi Tel Aviv. He said he was not making any political statement, but felt sympathy with fans unable to attend and simply wanted to watch a football match. He said: “It’s not about politics, it’s about football. It’s not the Villa fans that don’t want anyone here - the Villa fans want the away fans here.” This is a breaking news story and is being constantly updated. Please refresh the page regularly with the latest news, pictures and videos. You can also get email updates on the day’s biggest stories straight to your inbox by signing up for our newsletters. Get all the very best headlines, pictures, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you by following Daily Star every time you see our name. Follow Daily Star on Android - CLICK HERE Follow Daily Star on Apple - CLICK HERE Follow Daily Star on Snapchat - CLICK HERE You can also sign up for Twitter alerts for breaking news by following @starbreaksnews and follow us @dailystar for all the latest updates. Keep up-to-date with your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day by following us on Facebook at facebook.com/thedailystar.
