Pro-Palestinian protester takes issue with Israeli team at Tour de France

TOULOUSE, France (AP) — A man protesting the participation of an Israel-based team in the Tour de France ran onto the course as the leaders raced for the finish line on Wednesday.

Norwegian rider Jonas Abrahamsen won the 11th stage in a photo finish just ahead of Swiss rider Mauro Schmid, but their final sprint was accompanied by a man running alongside who wore a T-shirt saying, “Israel out of the Tour,” and who waved a keffiyeh, the black-and-white checkered headscarf that has become a potent symbol of the Palestinian cause.

A security guard ran out to apprehend the man.

The Israel-Premier Tech team is racing at this year’s Tour with eight team members from other countries. The team acquired the right to enter the Tour de France in 2020 when Israel Start-Up National took over Katusha’s WorldTour license and has since claimed three stage victories, though none yet in this year’s race.

Team members previously faced protests because of the team’s association with Israel, which has killed more than 58,000 Palestinians in 21 months of war, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The war was sparked by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that killed some 1,200 people on Oct. 7, 2023.

Israel and Hamas are considering a U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal that could pause the war.

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