Spain’s Vuelta cycling finale abandoned after pro-Palestine protests

3 hours ago 3

Pro-Palestine demonstrators person repeatedly targeted the Israel-Premier Tech cycling squad during the contention successful Spain.

Published On 14 Sep 2025

Pro-Palestinian demonstrations successful Madrid person forced the abandonment of the Vuelta a Espana cycling race’s last stage, with Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard declared the wide victor arsenic constabulary fought with protesters.

Demonstrators blocked sections of the contention way successful the Spanish superior connected Sunday, moving past metallic barriers and stepping retired onto the road. Police deployed successful ample numbers, but the contention was abandoned.

Recommended Stories

list of 4 items

end of list

Organisers confirmed the suspension of the event. “The contention is over,” a spokesperson told Reuters.

The protests person repeatedly targeted the Israel-Premier Tech cycling team, owned by Israeli-Canadian spot developer Sylvan Adams, implicit Israel’s warfare connected Palestinians successful Gaza.

Adams, the president of the Israel portion of the World Jewish Congress, is referred to by that organisation arsenic “committed to promoting Israel’s planetary image”.

Demonstrations disrupted aggregate stages successful caller weeks, with immoderate riders threatening to discontinue aft blockades caused falls connected the course.

In Bilbao, signifier 11 of the contention was neutralised with nary victor declared aft protesters blocked the attack to the decorativeness past week, portion connected Tuesday, hundreds of demonstrators forced signifier 16 successful Galicia to beryllium shortened aft confronting constabulary adjacent the route.

More than 1,000 constabulary officers were deployed connected Sunday successful Madrid to unafraid the finale of the 21-day contention successful Madrid, which had been scheduled to decorativeness astatine 7pm (17:00 GMT).

While contention organisers denied they were considering cancelling earlier stages, they had suggested Israel-Premier Tech retreat to support the information of different teams.

The information of Israel-Premier Tech has drawn wide disapproval successful Spain, wherever enactment for the Palestinian origin is strong.

Lily Mayers, a freelance journalist, told Al Jazeera: “This afternoon, thousands of protesters gathered … with flags and banners successful enactment of Palestine. At astir 6.30pm [16:30 GMT], crowds flooded onto the street, pushing down the barriers and clashing with constabulary rather dramatically.

“Police successful effect utilized teardrop state connected protesters to propulsion them back.”

The Spanish authorities this week recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv and barred 2 far-right Israeli ministers from entering the country, portion it officially recognised a Palestinian authorities past year.

Sports Minister Pilar Alegria has antecedently argued that Israeli teams should beryllium banned from planetary competitions, akin to restrictions imposed connected Russian teams pursuing Moscow’s penetration of Ukraine successful 2022. She said allowing them to vie showed a “double standard”.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publically praised Israel-Premier Tech for continuing successful the contention contempt the protests.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez besides voiced enactment for the pro-Palestine protesters. Speaking astatine a Socialist Party rally successful Malaga connected Sunday, helium said: “Today marks the extremity of the Vuelta.”

“Our respect and designation [is] for the athletes and our admiration for the Spanish radical who are mobilising for conscionable causes similar Palestine,” helium said. “Spain contiguous shines arsenic an illustration and arsenic a root of pride, an illustration to an planetary assemblage wherever it sees Spain taking a measurement guardant successful the defence of quality rights.”

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies

Read Entire Article