The streets of the Spanish capital, Madrid, turned into a huge protest arena that forced the organizers of the famous “La Vuelta” cycling race to cancel its final stage, which had been scheduled to start from Atocha Station in the city center.
The demonstrations erupted in rejection of the participation of a team from the usurping entity among the competitors. Thousands of Spaniards and residents of Madrid gathered three hours before the race, waving Palestinian flags and holding banners reading “No Sports with Genocide,” demanding an end to the war on Gaza and the implementation of the Spanish government’s decision to cut political and economic ties with the usurping entity.
The protests—described as unprecedented in scale—intensified at every stage of the race since it began in late August, as the team from the usurping entity faced widespread public opposition and even removed its insignia out of fear of being directly targeted. In some cities, such as Bilbao, organizers had previously been forced to end stages before the finish line because of the demonstrators.
In Madrid, despite the deployment of thousands of police officers and the erection of security barriers along the route, the number of protesters kept growing until it became impossible to start the final stage. As organizers and security forces gradually withdrew, the scene turned into a massive rally chanting for freedom for Palestine and condemning the genocide in Gaza, shouting slogans against the usurping entity.
Thus, La Vuelta recorded a historic precedent: its final stage was completely canceled under the pressure of the street, in what protesters considered a victory for the boycott campaign and a rejection of the participation of teams representing the usurping entity in international sporting events.
