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Anti-Israel Protests Force Early End to Vuelta a Espana Cycle Race

Anti-Israel protests forced the abandonment of the Vuelta a Espana cycle race at its finale on Sunday, with Danish cyclist Jonas Vingegaard declared the winner as police sought to quell demonstrations against an Israeli team’s participation.

Protesters overturned metal barriers and occupied the Vuelta (Tour of Spain) race route at several points in the Spanish capital Madrid as police attempted to push them back.

“The race is over,” a spokesperson for the race organizers told Reuters.

The protests have targeted the Israel-Premier Tech team over Israel’s actions in Gaza. Some riders had threatened to quit last week as routes were blocked, causing some falls.

More than 1,000 police officers were deployed on Sunday as cyclists reached the final stage of the 21-day race in Madrid.

It had been due to end at 7 p.m. (1700 GMT).

Earlier in the day, Spain’s Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he admired the protesters.

“Today marks the end of the Vuelta,” Sanchez told a party rally in the southern city of Malaga.

“Our respect and recognition for the athletes and our admiration for the Spanish people who are mobilizing for just causes like Palestine.”

After the race was cancelled, clashes continued with protesters throwing bottles of water and other objects at police.

Incident Details

Type of Incident: Protest
Date of Incident: September 14, 2025
City: Madrid
Country: Spain

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About Sentinel

SENTINEL is a European project funded by the European Commission and led by the Security and Crisis Centre (SACC by EJC), the security arm of the European Jewish Congress. It brings together the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT), national-level Jewish communities from Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, and Spain, the European Union of Jewish Students, with the support of the Italian Carabinieri and the Police Presidium of the Czech Republic.

The project is designed to strengthen the protection of Jewish places of worship across the European Union through a coordinated set of activities over a three-year period.

SENTINEL will harness AI-enhanced open-source intelligence to monitor and assess current, emerging, and future threats. It will also equip Jewish communities with practical tools, including a mobile security application with a panic button and an interactive map built on real-time incident data.

Training and capacity-building are at the core of the project. These include scenario-based security exercises, crisis management seminars, and both in-person and online training sessions for community security trustees. SENTINEL will also organise EU-wide and local conferences to foster collaboration between Jewish communities, public authorities, and law enforcement agencies.

Complementing these efforts, national and local workshops will promote knowledge-sharing and preparedness, alongside pilot training programmes for law enforcement. A dedicated podcast series will help raise awareness by exploring threat assessments and potential responses.

With its wide-reaching and inclusive approach, SENTINEL will directly benefit to Jewish communities across 23 EU Member States, enhancing resilience, strengthening preparedness, and building long-term cooperation with law enforcement to meet today’s evolving security challenges.