Violence in Spain: Pro-Palestinian Protests Attack Israeli Cyclists
10,000 demonstrators swarmed Bilbao, forcing organizers to cancel the race. An Israeli team car was attacked, and cycling’s global stage turned into a political battlefield.
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What should have been a showcase finish in Bilbao collapsed into turmoil as more than 10,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators filled the streets, breaking through barricades and blocking the course of the Vuelta a España. Riders were left stranded as the event spiraled out of control.
Tensions exploded when an activist hurled red paint at the Israel Premier Tech team car, striking its crew and endangering riders. The violent act showed how the conflict has spilled into international sport, as Palestinian flags and protest banners turned Bilbao’s cycling festival into a crime scene.
After emergency talks between organizers, judges, and police, the call was made: the race would not be completed. No sprint, no winner, official times frozen three kilometers from the line. A precedent-setting moment in the history of the sport, dictated not by competition but by chaos.
For Israel Premier Tech, it was another reminder that the team sits at the fault line between athletics and geopolitics. The squad condemned the incident, warning that the protests had crossed from political expression into direct threats to safety. Now the bigger question looms: can future international cycling events in Europe be secured?