“Totally unacceptable” facts for the organizers, the Prime Minister remains “admiring”

The Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed his “deep admiration” of these demonstrations which took place during the Tour of Spain.

Several stages interrupted and a last big party in Madrid shortened 57 kilometers, without final podium, enough to irritate the organizers of the Vuelta. The director of the Tour of Spain, Javier Guillén, described the Propalestinian demonstrations which occurred during the test of “Totally unacceptable”Monday September 15, during a press conference.

Despite a reinforced police system, thousands of demonstrators had entered the course of the race in various points in downtown Madrid while the runners approached the Spanish capital.

“I wish to condemn what happened during the last step, there is no comment to make, the images speak for themselves”said Javier Guillén, ensuring that the demonstrations targeting the Israel-Prime Tech team could have taken place in compliance with the course of the race.

On Gran via, in the tourist heart of the city, in Atocha, near the central station, but also Plaza de Colon, several groups of activists, with Palestinian flags, had dropped the barriers that protected the final circuit that cyclists had to borrow several times. The announcement of the final stop of the race was applauded as a victory by the demonstrators. “This Vuelta is Palestine who wins it”they sang.

The podium and the protocol ceremonies having been canceled, the teams themselves organized a ceremony in the parking lot of a hotel, with coolers returned as a podium, to reward the winners of the distinctive jerseys, including the Danish Jonas Vingegaard, winner of the general classification.

For his part, the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez reissued his support for this movement, providing on Monday, on Monday, “His deep admiration for Spanish civil society which is mobilizing against injustice”, while specifying that “we reject, of course, always violence”. But he also claims that Israel should not participate in “No international competition as long as barbarism continues” in Gaza, calling for treatment equivalent to that imposed on Russia.