’No fear!’ Arsenal fans defiant in the face of ISIS threat: ‘We HAVE to get on with life’
Arsenal fans are confident they have nothing to fear ahead of tonight’s Champions League clash with Bayern Munich, despite an ISIS terror threat.
GB News reporter Charlie Peters visited the Emirates Stadium to gauge the feeling among supporters as they prepare for their first UEFA Champions League quarter final in 10 years.
European football’s governing body said ‘appropriate security arrangements’ will be in place for Arsenal and Manchester City’s games, which kick off at 8pm BST.
“I have come over from Ireland today, I used to live here and had threats growing up”, said one Arsenal supporter.
“We have to get on with life. You walk down the street and anything can happen to you.
“You have to keep going and hope for the best. If you listen to every threat going, you will never leave the house. We just have to hope and pray that everything will be alright.”
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Asked by Charlie whether she has any fears about the game, the fan only went as far as to say that losing the fixture remains her biggest concern.
Another fan said trust must be put in the security forces overseeing the games, but admitted he is ‘slightly nervous’.
“You can’t let these people ruin your life”, he added.
“It’s a big quarter final. We haven’t had one with Arsenal since 2010 so you can’t not go as a result.”
Asked whether anything will keep him away from the Emirates tonight, he firmly responded “not at all”.
“We are here without fear”, another supporter commented.
“We are here only for football. It is not about religion. It is just some people who want to scare others and we are only here for football.
“I live in Paris and it’s the same in Paris. People don’t want to hear about it.
“We are here and we are here to support the team.”
“I’m not scared”, another Arsenal supporter added.
“I saw a lot of news about ISIS and terrorism and nearly 90 per cent of the stories are fake.
“I trust in the officers. London is a great city.”
The Metropolitan Police said it had a ‘robust policing plan’ in place for the game in North London tonight.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said: “The UK terrorism threat level remains at ‘substantial’ meaning an attack is likely, and we work closely with colleagues from across Counter Terrorism Policing in planning for events here in London, to take into account any relevant information that could help us to keep those attending safe.
“We’re aware of online and media reports in relation to calls to target matches across Europe and here in London.
“However, I want to reassure the public that we have a robust policing plan in place for tonight’s match and we continue to work closely alongside the club’s security team to ensure that the match passes peacefully.
“As ever, we ask the public to remain vigilant, and if they see any that doesn’t look or feel right, then report it to police or security staff.”
In a statement, Uefa said: “Uefa is aware of alleged terrorist threats made towards this week’s Uefa Champions League matches and is closely liaising with the authorities at the respective venues.
“All matches are planned to go ahead as scheduled with appropriate security arrangements in place.”