Chaos at Spanish Vuelta cycling race as pro-Palestinian protests disrupt stage

FRANCE 24 English

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00:01Protesters blocked the cycling race from the very start of the stage,

00:06forcing riders to cycle around a banner which they held up in the middle of the road.

00:11And at the finish line in Bilbao, the race was called off as police confronted the protesters.

00:17Cycling times were frozen three kilometres from the finish line and no stage winner was declared.

00:25I think sport is there to bring joy to people.

00:27I understand that we are going through a very difficult time that is causing all of us to suffer.

00:32I hope it doesn't affect the Vuelta.

00:34Police eventually contained the protesters and several officers were injured in the process.

00:39Waving Basque and Palestinian flags,

00:42protesters denounced the current situation in the Gaza Strip

00:46and more specifically targeted Israel Premier Tek,

00:49a cycling team in the race founded by a close associate of Benjamin Netanyahu.

00:54On the one hand, I like cycling, but people's lives are more important.

00:59The cyclists' union has condemned what it calls actions that endangered their riders' safety,

01:06but the public remains divided.

01:08I agree with them that what's happening in Palestine is a disaster,

01:13and I'm in favour of fighting for Palestinian rights, but not like this.

01:18Pro-Palestinian protests have already disrupted major cycling events this year,

01:23including the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia,

01:26but these incidents have been more frequent in Spain,

01:29a country known for its strong support of the Palestinian cause.

01:32During a previous stage of the Vuelta, activists specifically tried to block the Israel Premier Tek riders in the race.

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