On August 27th, five pro-Palestinian activists from Alt Empordà blocked the Israeli team participating in the Vuelta a España. It happened during a team time trial in Figueres and was the first in a series of protests against the presence of the Israel Premier Tech team in the race, actions that continued at every stage until the final day. "When we found out the Vuelta was coming, we decided to take some completely peaceful action, and luckily in Figueres it was a team time trial. That made it very easy for us to block only the Zionist team, the Israeli team. We didn't want to cause any problems for the cyclists, Oliver, or anyone else," explains the young activist, who has been involved in various causes for many years. The action, however, became the spark for a widespread protest throughout the country. It ended up paralyzing the entry of the Vuelta into MadridBut in practical terms, the Figueres blockade is currently the only boycott against the Israeli team's participation that the Vuelta a España organizers have reported. It resulted in one arrest: that of Esteve Robleda i Sastre, an educational psychologist. In a city with few demonstrations, dozens of people gathered in front of the Mossos d'Esquadra police station in the capital of the Alt Empordà region to demand his release. On Saturday, a fundraising event for Palestine was held in Figueres, both in case the complaint ends up in court and to support the Palestinian people. It was also an opportunity to learn firsthand how the protest against the Israel Premier Tech team's participation in the cycling competition was organized.

1. Slides. "Sánchez redoubles pressure on Israel and the right accuses him of political violence," headlines ARA. Truly, we have to see the world through a slit, and we already know that the Spanish right has a tendency to do so, attributing violence to those who protest with words and demonstrations against the genocidal cruelty to which Netanyahu has led Israel. Can one witness the destruction of a people without the right to protest, to express indignation, and demand that the international community stop the atrocity? We already know of Feijóo's limitations and his inability to construct discourses with ideas and proposals. But to see protest riots on the occasion of the Vuelta a Espana and call them a driver of violence at a time when the horror of Gaza is sending us impacts of mass destruction is at least ridiculous. But it shouldn't be minimized, because it comes at a precise moment when the European right is accelerating its recognition of the extreme right, which is limiting its space.

Spanish politics has been strongly influenced by violence for years. On October 1st, the police brutally beat citizens in the street as they went to vote in a referendum. A couple of years ago, there were grotesque mobs of far-right supporters on Calle Ferraz, in front of the PSOE headquarters, where physical violence was frequent, although the Popular Party applauded them as exemplary forms of citizen violence. Just over a year ago, Aznar famously said, "Whoever can do, let them do."

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez sees how Europe is gradually following his lead in denouncing and confronting Israel over the genocide its army is perpetrating in Gaza. At the same time, always adept at sensing the public's pulse, Sánchez is increasingly embracing the popular sentiment of solidarity with the Palestinians. In contrast, the right-wing PP, following Vox's lead, has entered a drift that places it among the hardest-line of its European counterparts and distances it from a minimum sense of humanitarian common sense.

The Suspension of the Vuelta following pro-Palestinian protests This weekend's protests in Madrid have led to a new political clash between the Spanish government and the opposition. While on Sunday, Spanish President Pedro Sánchez expressed his "admiration" for the demonstrations, and the PP harshly criticized his remarks, today, Monday, the leader of the Popular Party (PP), Alberto Núñez Feijóo, went even further, describing the pro-Palestinian protests as "political violence" and holding him "responsible." The PP's criticism did not make Sánchez back down, and he reiterated his support in a speech in Congress before the PSOE deputies, senators, and MEPs. On the contrary, the Socialist leader went a step further, calling for Israel to be banned from all international competitions "until the barbarity stops," such as Eurovision. Sánchez, therefore, is doubling down once again.

The most politicized Vuelta a España of all time ended prematurely. With 57 km to go, riders climbed into their team vehicles as pro-Palestinian protesters managed to block the road. The final stage, finishing in Madrid, was expected to be complicated by a demonstration against the presence of the Israel Premier Tech team, and that's exactly what happened. The war in Gaza, currently at the center of the political agenda, also took center stage in this race due to the presence of this team owned by a businessman close to the Netanyahu government. As the race progressed and more news of civilian deaths in Gaza arrived, tensions grew at the Vuelta. In the end, the race was unable to complete its route, as the organizers feared.

Will the Vuelta a España reach its destination? A growing number of voices are expressing doubts about the Spanish race's ability to meet its schedule, with the final finish in Madrid this coming Sunday, due to the growing number of pro-Palestinian protesters organized against the presence of the Israel Premier-Tech team. This Thursday's stage, a 27.2 km individual time trial in Valladolid, was cut to a 12-kilometer route "with the aim of providing greater protection for development," according to the organizers. Being a time trial, the goal was to protect the Israeli team's riders with a shorter route featuring barriers. Two people were arrested during a day of confrontation between Podemos, which considers the presence of the Israeli team a disgrace, and the PP, which defends it. The stage was won by Italian Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers), seven seconds faster than Australian Jay Vine (UAE) and Portuguese Joao Almeida (UAE). Almeida has shaved a few seconds off general classification leader Jonas Vingegaard (Visma), who now has a 40-second lead over the Portuguese rider.

The Israel Premier Tech team continues to be one of the protagonists of this edition of the Vuelta a Espana. The team, owned by a tycoon who supports the Netanyahu government, sees protests organized on roadsides against its presence at every stage. Today, the team announced that it is removing the country's name from the jersey at the Vuelta a Espana to "prioritize the safety" of its "cyclists and the entire peloton, given the danger of some protests at the Vuelta," they explained. "Israel Premier Tech has provided the cyclists with a uniform bearing the team's monogram for the remainder of the race," a uniform with a logo that does not include the name of Israel. The Israeli team, however, emphasizes that "the team name remains Israel Premier Tech," although it explains: "The monogrammed uniform now aligns with the branding decisions we have previously adopted for our vehicles and casual wear," from which it has also removed the name of Israel.

Early morning news in Catalan politics: Jaume Giró has resigned from his seat as a deputy and from his position on the national executive committee of Junts. This is the statement issued tonight, following a leak.

The presence of the Israel Premier-Tech team in the Vuelta continues to raise a storm. This Wednesday, race organizers decided to cancel the planned arrival in Bilbao after seeing the number of protesters gathering with Palestinian flags. "For security reasons, the general classification times will be taken 3 kilometers from the finish line. There will be no stage winner. There will be points awarded for the mountains and those earned in the intermediate sprint, but not for the points classification," the Vuelta announced in response to the incidents on the eleventh stage.