#public-order

#public-order

In a statement, Birmingham-based club Villa said they had been informed that local police had "public safety concerns outside the stadium bowl and the ability to deal with any potential protests on the night." West Midlands Police said they had classified the November 6 fixture as "high risk" following a "thorough assessment." "This decision is based on current intelligence and previous incidents, including violent clashes and hate crime offences that occurred during the 2024 Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam," police said in a statement. In November 2024, that fixture in the Netherlands was marred by violent clashes linked to the crisis in the Middle East which left at least five people needing hospital treatment and resulted in over 60 arrests.

The protest comes in the wake of a tentative ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, brokered with international mediators, under which hostages are to be released and Israeli military operations paused. Still, protesters argue that a formal agreement alone is not enough. Many are demanding full implementation of the ceasefire terms, a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and the release of all Palestinian detainees.

Sir Mark Rowley said that LFR hadn't yet been used at any protest, including at Saturday's Unite The Kingdom march in London organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, "because of what may be sensed about it having a chilling effect". He said: "The last protest from the same organisers as this one didn't have any trouble of any significance so the suggestion that every protest organised by these organisers has trouble is not actually accurate."

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, said the pockets of violence at the protest yesterday were completely unacceptable. In a post on X thanking the Metropolitan police for its work, he wrote: My thanks go to all the officers policing protests today. Most protestors were peaceful, but a number of officers were assaulted and arrests have been made. Violence and attacking police officers is completely unacceptable.

Thanet District Council's new Public Space Protection Order aims to ban foul or abusive language in public spaces, enforceable by a £100 fine.

CCTV images have been released by Dorset Police as they investigate a mass brawl on Bournemouth beach that left a teenage girl and several police officers injured on Monday evening. The authorities received reports about the incident just before 7:30 PM and dispatched officers to the location. Though the injuries were not serious, a 22-year-old man has been arrested for assaulting an emergency worker, while an 18-year-old from Hackney is in custody on several charges.