This Thursday will see us mount a large policing operation, as Aston Villa take on Maccabi Tel Aviv at Villa Park.
We will have more than 700 officers keeping the public safe and arresting anyone who engages in crime and disorder.
Birmingham Police commander, Ch Supt Tom Joyce, said: “Our message to those from all communities in Birmingham is that we have listened and will continue to engage with you.
“We remain committed to maintaining the city’s reputation as a safe and welcoming place for everyone.
“Anyone who breaks the law will be dealt with directly, as will those who incite hate.
“We have been working closely with partners including Birmingham City Council, Aston Villa Football Club, our colleagues in other emergency services, as we put in place our significant policing operation.
“People can expect to see a large number of uniformed officers, as well as police horses, police dogs, our drone unit, road policing unit, protest liaison officers and others.
“We will also be ensuring that we continue to provide the same great policing service to the whole of the West Midlands.
“People not attending the event should expect significant disruption to the roads in the area on the evening, and we’d urge people to avoid the area where possible.
“We know protests by different groups will take place on the day, and we have plans in place which balance the right to protest with our duty to protect all communities in Birmingham.
“We are experienced at policing high profile football matches and demonstrations, and for many weeks now, we have been working closely with different faith and local community groups to listen to their views and concerns.
“Our goal throughout planning for this match is to ensure people can enjoy the football fixture while we continue to keep everyone in Birmingham safe, facilitate peaceful protest and maintain the King’s peace.”
As part of our operation to keep people safe, drones will be restricted from flying within a one nautical mile radius of Villa Park between 4pm and 11.59pm on 6 November.
The drone-only restricted airspace (RA(T)) means that flying your drone in this area during this time will be a criminal offence.