Demonstrations against Israel's warfare in Gaza have been going on for a longer time in Spain. Recently, they have been specifically directed against the fact that an Israeli team has been allowed to compete in the classic cycling competition Spain around.
Sunday's massive mobilization resulted in the final stage of the competition being forced to be interrupted. The approximately 1,500 police officers who were deployed did not succeed in preventing demonstrators from entering the cycling route.
Two people are reported to have been arrested and 22 police officers injured in connection with the protests, reports El País.
After the competition was stopped, thousands of people have continued to demonstrate in central Madrid.
Earlier in the day, before the competition, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his general support for the pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
Let us express our appreciation and full respect for the athletes, but also our admiration for the Spanish people who have the ability to gather for a just cause, such as Palestine's, said Sánchez in a speech to supporters of the social democratic ruling party PSOE.
The conservative opposition party Partido Popular (PP) accuses Sánchez of having incited the protests.
"The government has enabled and contributed to the interruption of Spain around and, in this way, also made us a laughing stock internationally", writes PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo on social media.
