Tel Aviv Local Rivalry Cancelled Due to Violent Riots
The sports venue in the city was filled with haze prior to the anticipated beginning
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The Israeli Premier League local clash featuring one local team and Hapoel Tel Aviv was abandoned ahead of the start on Sunday, due to what authorities characterized as "public disorder and serious disturbances".
"Numerous of smoke devices and pyrotechnic devices were launched," Israeli police announced on online platforms, adding "this cannot be considered a sporting event, it constitutes chaos and significant aggression".
A dozen people and multiple officers were hurt, authorities reported, while nine people were detained and sixteen held for interrogation.
The disturbances come just days after representatives in the United Kingdom announced that supporters of the team should not be allowed to go to the international tournament match at the Birmingham team in the UK the following month because of safety concerns.
The local club criticised the derby cancellation, alleging Israeli police of "preparing for a conflict, not a football match", even during discussions in the lead-up to the eagerly-awaited encounter.
"The disturbing events outside the stadium and following the ill-considered and outrageous judgment to abandon the game only prove that the law enforcement has seized authority in the football," Hapoel Tel Aviv announced publicly.
Their rivals has not yet commented, merely stating the game was called off.
The judgment by the local safety committee to exclude club followers from the English fixture on 6 November has triggered broad condemnation.
The UK government has later announced it is working to overturn the ban and investigating what extra measures might be necessary to make certain the game can be held without incident.
Aston Villa told their matchday stewards that they could choose not to participate at the game, stating they recognized that some "could be worried".
On earlier in the week, law enforcement said it backed the ban and classified the fixture as "concerning" due to reports and previous incidents.
That included "physical confrontations and discrimination incidents" involving Ajax and followers ahead of a fixture in the Netherlands in November 2024, when more than 60 people were taken into custody.
There have been protests at various sporting events over the conflict in Gaza, including when the national team played the Scandinavian team and Italy in latest qualification games.
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Published48 hours prior
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IssuedMid-August
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