"At 7:15 p.m. on Sunday, the peloton was scheduled to enter the final stretch of La Vuelta, a 3,100 kilometer (1926 miles) race that takes place across Spain, similar to the Tour de France. The cyclists were pedaling along Madrid's Paseo del Prado, heading toward the finish line at the Cibeles roundabout. But nobody finished the race. At that point, the stretch located between Atocha and Cibeles was already a pressure cooker on both sides of the wide avenue."
"Despite the police presence, members of the Anticapitalistas collective which, along with BDS (Boycott, Diversion, and Solidarity), coordinated the call to boycott the end of the Spanish cycling tour attempted to invade the circuit near the finish line before being pushed out by the police. Protesters then moved to Paseo del Prado, constantly moving the security barriers as riot police tried to hold them back. Suddenly, the news spread like wildfire: the final stage of the race and the podium ceremony had been canceled."
"Anticapitalistas hailed the cancellation of La Vuelta as a victory: It shows that it is possible to force our governments to completely sever relations with Israel, they said in a statement. Earlier this month, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez for the first time openly used the word genocide to describe Israel's military offensive against the people of Gaza something the Spanish government had avoided for many months, generating an internal debate within the coalition."
La Vuelta's final stage in Madrid was canceled after protesters attempted to invade the circuit near the finish line. More than 2,000 officers had been deployed as demonstrators from Anticapitalistas and BDS moved security barriers and tried to breach fences along Paseo del Prado. Protesters targeted the Israel-owned Premier Tech team and waved Palestinian flags, disrupting multiple stages. Anticapitalistas hailed the cancellation as proof that governments can be pressured to sever ties with Israel. The episode followed Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's public use of the word 'genocide' to describe Israel's offensive in Gaza, sparking coalition debate.
Read at english.elpais.com
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