Tel Aviv Derby Cancelled Due to Violent Riots
The sports venue in Tel Aviv was engulfed by smoke before the anticipated start
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Released
The domestic football league local clash involving Maccabi Tel Aviv and their city rivals was abandoned before kick-off on the weekend, after what police characterized as "public disorder and major clashes".
"Many of smoke bombs and fireworks were set off," authorities stated on online platforms, adding "this is not a match, this is unrest and significant aggression".
Twelve civilians and multiple police personnel were harmed, officials confirmed, while several individuals were taken into custody and numerous others questioned by police.
The disturbances occur just a brief period after representatives in the United Kingdom announced that followers of the club cannot be permitted to be present at the Europa League fixture at the Birmingham team in Britain next month because of security issues.
One team censured the game abandonment, alleging law enforcement of "getting ready for a conflict, rather than a sporting event", particularly during talks in the build-up to the highly-anticipated fixture.
"The disturbing events outside the stadium and following the reckless and scandalous ruling to cancel the game only show that the authorities has assumed command over the sport," the team announced publicly.
The other team has remained silent, only acknowledging the match was cancelled.
The judgment by security authorities to exclude club followers from the English fixture on 6 November has sparked widespread criticism.
The British authorities has later announced it is attempting to reverse the prohibition and exploring what extra measures might be necessary to ensure the match can be conducted securely.
Villa informed their security personnel that they were not required to attend at the match, saying they recognized that some "might feel uneasy".
On earlier in the week, local authorities stated it supported the ban and designated the fixture as "potentially dangerous" due to intelligence and earlier occurrences.
That included "physical confrontations and hate-crime offences" between the Dutch team and their supporters ahead of a game in the Netherlands in late 2024, when numerous persons were taken into custody.
There have been demonstrations at multiple sporting events concerning the situation in Gaza, including when Israel competed against the Scandinavian team and the European team in recent international matches.
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Additional reports
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Released2 days ago
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Issued16 August
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