Tel Aviv Local Rivalry Called Off Following Violent Riots
The sports venue in the city was filled with haze prior to the planned beginning
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The domestic football league rivalry match featuring one local team and their city rivals was cancelled ahead of the start on the weekend, after what authorities described as "civil unrest and major clashes".
"Many of smoke bombs and flares were launched," Israeli police announced on online platforms, adding "this cannot be considered a match, it represents disorder and significant aggression".
A dozen individuals and three officers were harmed, authorities reported, while multiple persons were detained and sixteen questioned by police.
The unrest come just a short time after officials in the United Kingdom said that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans cannot be permitted to go to the international tournament game at Aston Villa in the UK next month because of safety concerns.
Hapoel Tel Aviv criticised the game abandonment, alleging authorities of "gearing up for a battle, instead of a football match", including during discussions in the preparation to the eagerly-awaited fixture.
"The alarming situations outside the arena and after the ill-considered and scandalous ruling to cancel the fixture only prove that the authorities has seized authority in the sport," the team announced publicly.
Their rivals has not yet commented, merely stating the match was cancelled.
The ruling by the local safety committee to prohibit the team's supporters from the Birmingham game on the sixth of November has sparked broad condemnation.
The UK government has subsequently stated it is seeking to cancel the ban and investigating what further support might be necessary to guarantee the game can be hosted safely.
The English club informed their stadium staff that they did not have to work at the fixture, explaining they understood that some "may have concerns".
On the previous day, law enforcement said it supported the ban and classified the fixture as "concerning" based on reports and previous incidents.
That included "violent clashes and hate-crime offences" between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv fans prior to a fixture in Amsterdam in the previous year, when more than 60 people were taken into custody.
There have been rallies at multiple sporting events concerning the situation in Gaza, including when Israel faced the Scandinavian team and the European team in current qualification games.
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Additional reports
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Posted2 days ago
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IssuedMid-August
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