00:00In Birmingham, a football match has become a political flashpoint.
00:06Travelling fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv have been banned from Aston Villa's Europa League toy
00:11after West Midlands police libelled the fixture high risk.
00:15The city's safety advisory group accepted that advice
00:18and ordered no visiting allocation at Villa Park.
00:22The decision matters because it shows how far safety powers can reach
00:26when tension around global conflict spills into British sport.
00:30Critics say the ban punishes ordinary supporters for risks they didn't create.
00:35Police say they're acting on intelligence of planned protests
00:38and a shortage of officers to handle this order if those protests turn violent.
00:44The backlash was instant. The Prime Minister called the move wrong.
00:48Ministers offered extra policing resources and urged local authorities to reconsider.
00:54Civil Liberties groups say the ruling may breach equality law
00:58by excluding fans on the basis of nationality.
01:02Aston Villa insist they were told not asked to comply.
01:06The club said they'd prefer a solution that keeps the game open to all supporters
01:10under proper security controls.
01:13UEFA has also sought assurances that the fixture won't set a precedent
01:18for other high risk matches across Europe.
01:21For Birmingham, the implications run deeper than football.
01:25It's about who carries the burden when public safety, civil rights and politics collide
01:30and whether authorities should manage threats or remove those being threatened.
01:35At Villa Park, that argument is no longer theoretical.
01:38It's playing out, seat by empty seat.
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