Tel Aviv Derby Cancelled Due to Major Disturbances
The sports venue in Tel Aviv was engulfed by smoke prior to the scheduled kick-off
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The domestic football league derby involving one local team and Hapoel Tel Aviv was called off ahead of commencement on the weekend, due to what law enforcement described as "crowd trouble and serious disturbances".
"Numerous of smoke bombs and pyrotechnic devices were set off," Israeli police announced on online platforms, emphasizing "this isn't a sporting event, this is chaos and serious violence".
Twelve people and several police personnel were hurt, authorities reported, while multiple persons were taken into custody and sixteen questioned by police.
The unrest come just a short time after representatives in the UK announced that supporters of the team cannot be permitted to go to the European competition match at Aston Villa in England the following month because of public safety worries.
One team condemned the derby cancellation, accusing authorities of "gearing up for a war, instead of a sporting event", even during meetings in the lead-up to the highly-anticipated encounter.
"The shocking incidents around the arena and due to the reckless and outrageous decision to abandon the fixture only show that the authorities has seized authority in the sport," the team stated officially.
Their rivals has remained silent, except to confirm the game was called off.
The judgment by security authorities to prohibit the team's supporters from the Aston Villa match on the sixth of November has sparked broad condemnation.
The government officials has since said it is working to overturn the ban and investigating what further support might be needed to guarantee the fixture can be conducted securely.
Aston Villa informed their matchday stewards that they did not have to work at the game, stating they recognized that some "could be worried".
On Thursday, West Midlands Police stated it supported the ban and designated the game as "potentially dangerous" according to intelligence and previous incidents.
That involved "violent clashes and hate-crime offences" involving the Dutch team and followers ahead of a match in Amsterdam in the previous year, when more than 60 people were arrested.
There have been protests at several games concerning the war in Gaza, including when Israel competed against Norway and Italy in latest international matches.
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Posted2 days ago
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PublishedAugust 16
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