Protesters at Tour de France demand Israel be kicked out of the race

Dozens of pro-Palestinian activists wave flags and unfurl banners as the Tour de France peloton rides through Dieulefit, a southeastern French town honored as a “Town of the Just” for sheltering Jewish people during World War II.

A house is draped with Palestinian flags and protesters wave dozens more by the roadside. Cries of “Free Palestine” echo through the town as the riders cycle through.

Vanessa Huguenin, who runs a family-owned department store in Dieulefit, a town of about 3,000 people, says the action had been planned for nearly two months to take advantage of the Tour’s visibility.

A man was also arrested last week in Toulouse after running onto the final straight of the stage wearing a T-shirt reading “Israel out of the Tour” and waving a black and white keffiyeh headdress.

Through a loudspeaker today, a protester shouts: “Mr. Adams, spokesperson for a genocidal army,” referring to Sylvan Adams, co-owner of the Israel-Premier Tech cycling team competing in the race. The protester called for the team to be kicked out.

“Israel-Premier Tech respects everyone’s right to free speech, which includes the right to protest,” says a statement from Israel-Premier Tech, which is Israel’s first elite cycling team, founded in 2014. “Our focus is on racing and we continue to work closely with race organizers and relevant parties to ensure that any protests do not jeopardize team members’ safety, nor impact races, or our right to participate.”

The team has 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.