Aston Villa vs Maccabi Tel Aviv LIVE: Birmingham chaos as fans and Gaza protesters clash

Small confrontations have occurred between Aston Villa fans and pro-Palestine protesters ahead of their Europa League clash with Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Six people have been arrested during protests at tonight's game, including a 21-year-old man for failing to remove a face covering when ordered and a 17-year-old boy for failing to comply with a dispersal order.

Footage also showed home fans clashing with police as they made their way into the ground.

West Midlands Police have deployed 700 officers onto the streets after identifying the Aston Villa vs Maccabi Tel Aviv clash as "high risk". The away fans have already been banned from entering the stadium, a decision it was claimed to have been taken "based on current intelligence" and a "thorough" assessment of potential protests that could clash.

The main concerns stem from five separate organised protests around the stadium that will see both pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli groups descend into the same square mile - along with 42,000 Villa fans.

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