TOULOUSE, France :A protester wearing a ‘Israel out of the Tour’ t-shirt ran onto the final straight of Wednesday’s 11th stage of the Tour de France as two riders sprinted it out for victory before being restrained by a security officer.
The protester, who was also waving a keffiyeh, was less than 25 metres from the finish line as Norway’s Jonas Abrahamsen beat Swiss champion Mauro Schmid for victory in the 11th stage.
He was arrested and handed over to local police authorities, a police officer on the Tour de France told Reuters.
Israel is represented on the Tour through the Israel-Premier Tech team, but no Israeli riders are in the race.
Israel’s military operations in Gaza have killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.
Almost 1,650 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed as a result of the conflict, including 1,200 killed in the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, by Israeli tallies.
Some other protests are planned on the Tour route, Reuters has learned from sources with a direct knowledge of the matter.
Tour organisers declined to comment.
“Israel – Premier Tech respects everyone’s right to free speech which includes the right to protest. However, the team absolutely condemns any protests or actions of individuals that interfere with racing at the Tour de France or threaten the safety of the entire peloton, as was seen on stage 11,” Israel-Premier Tech said in a statement to Reuters.
“We continue to work closely with race organizers and relevant parties to ensure that any protests do not jeopardise team members’ safety, nor impact racing, or our right to participate.
“The security measures afforded to the team during the Tour de France are the directive of (organisers) ASO and relevant French police departments. The team cooperates fully with the security protocols outlined by the race and appreciates the significant efforts made by all parties to ensure team members’ safety at the race.”
Israel-Premier Tech have been granted extra security on the Tour, with police officers by the team bus and they were escorted by plain-clothed officers at the team’s presentation in Lille.
