Pro-Palestinian Protests Disrupt Vuelta a Espana Finale

Pro-Palestinian protests caused the Vuelta a Espana cycle race finale to be abandoned on Sunday, crowning Danish cyclist Jonas Vingegaard the winner amid confrontations with police. Demonstrators overturned metal barriers and occupied the race route across Madrid, objecting to an Israeli team's involvement.

A spokesperson for the race organizers confirmed the race's end to Reuters, citing protests mainly targeting the Israel-Premier Tech team over Israel's actions in Gaza. With riders threatening to quit and routes blocked, disruption was inevitable.

Spanish police deployed over 1,000 officers during the final stage in Madrid, scheduled to end at 7 p.m. Despite the race's cancellation, clashes persisted, as protesters hurled objects at police. Spain's Socialist Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, expressed admiration for the activists, recognizing their pursuit of justice for Palestine.

(With inputs from agencies.)