00:00Did Pedro Sánchez incite pro-Palestine protestors to stop La Vuelta Ciclista a España?
00:08Many Spaniards are enraged by the cancellation of the last lap of La Vuelta Ciclista a España,
00:13their iconic three-week cycling race across the country.
00:16Its final stage was abandoned this weekend
00:18after thousands of pro-Palestine protestors broke the finish line in Madrid.
00:22Two people were detained and 22 police officers injured.
00:25Prominent Spanish politicians were quick to argue
00:28that Pedro Sánchez, Spain's Prime Minister,
00:30was directly responsible for the disruption.
00:33But what did Sánchez actually say?
00:35Speaking at a PSOE event in Andalucía,
00:37Sánchez said he first and foremost respected the athletes competing in La Vuelta,
00:42but he also expressed admiration for Spaniards
00:44who mobilised for just causes like that of Palestine.
00:47You know that today the Vuelta to Spain ends.
00:50The Vuelta to Spain.
00:51And go ahead,
00:53our absolute recognition and respect to the athletes,
00:57but also our admiration for a people like the Spanish
01:02who mobilised for just causes like Palestine.
01:05He added that he felt proud to see a country that, despite its diversity,
01:08comes together on a just cause like human rights,
01:11finishing with long-lived the Spanish people.
01:13He did not explicitly call for protests or mention stopping the race,
01:17and in fact hailed the athletes as much as the protesters.
01:20But many still found his words inflammatory and irresponsible.
01:23José Luis Martínez Almeida, Mayor of Madrid, said,
01:26Today, Madrid has been overwhelmed by violence,
01:29for which I make the president of the government directly responsible,
01:33because of his irresponsible statements this morning inciting the demonstrators.
01:37And Isabel Díaz Ayuso, president of the Madrid region, tweeted,
01:41When the president of the nation cheers on the boycott against the Vuelta Teclista,
01:45he becomes responsible for every clash that occurs.
01:48Meanwhile, accusations also rained from the left,
01:50blaming Sánchez for not doing enough to support the protesters.
01:54To be continued...
01:55To be continued...
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