Pro-Palestinian Protesters Disrupt La Vuelta A España

(MENAFN) Pro-Palestinian demonstrators once again interrupted the La Vuelta A España cycling competition in Spain on Sunday, intensifying demands for the removal of the Israel-Premier Tech team from the event.

This cycling team is partially owned by Sylvan Adams, a billionaire with both Canadian and Israeli nationality, known for his strong ties to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Since the race kicked off on August 23, protests have been consistent and widespread.

During the early segment of the 15th stage, which took place in Galicia, located in the northwest of the country, a protester managed to breach the race route.

This caused an accident involving two riders: Javier Romo from Spain and Edward Planckaert from Belgium.

In a separate incident on September 6, hackers reportedly infiltrated the race’s radio system, broadcasting pro-Palestinian songs and messages.

Officials reported that ten individuals were taken into custody for disturbing public order amid ongoing demonstrations throughout the event.

Nearly every town along the race path featured Palestinian flags, while bold banners with phrases like “Stop the genocide,” “Israel is a Murderer,” and “Free Palestine” were clearly visible.

Due to protest actions, the stage held in Bilbao on September 3 had to be shortened by 3 kilometers (1.86 miles).

Spain’s Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Albares, declared that the Israeli team should be excluded from the race and voiced strong backing for the protests.

Additionally, Sira Rego, the Minister for Youth and Children, urged race director Javier Guillen to remove the team from La Vuelta and allow protest actions to continue.

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