Tel Aviv Derby Postponed After Major Disturbances
The sports venue in the city was covered in smoke prior to the planned start
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Issued
The Israeli Premier League rivalry match featuring Maccabi Tel Aviv and their city rivals was called off before commencement on the weekend, after what police labeled as "crowd trouble and major clashes".
"Numerous of smoke bombs and flares were set off," law enforcement stated on online platforms, emphasizing "this cannot be considered a sporting event, it represents unrest and serious violence".
Twelve civilians and several law enforcement members were harmed, police said, while nine people were detained and 16 detained for questioning.
The unrest occur just a short time after authorities in the Britain stated that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans should not be allowed to attend the European competition game at the English club in England in November because of safety concerns.
One team censured the derby cancellation, accusing authorities of "gearing up for a war, instead of a football match", even during talks in the preparation to the eagerly-awaited fixture.
"The disturbing incidents around the venue and due to the irresponsible and scandalous judgment not to hold the match only demonstrate that the Israel Police has seized authority in the game," the club said in a statement.
Their rivals has not yet commented, merely stating the fixture was abandoned.
The ruling by the local safety committee to ban club followers from the English fixture on November 6 has provoked widespread criticism.
The UK government has later announced it is working to overturn the restriction and exploring what additional resources might be needed to make certain the match can be held without incident.
The English club notified their matchday stewards that they did not have to work at the fixture, explaining they understood that some "may have concerns".
On Thursday, law enforcement confirmed it backed the ban and classified the fixture as "high risk" due to intelligence and earlier occurrences.
That involved "physical confrontations and bigotry-related acts" among the Dutch team and followers before a match in the Netherlands in late 2024, when numerous persons were arrested.
There have been demonstrations at various games over the conflict in Gaza, including when Israel faced the Scandinavian team and the European team in current international matches.
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