Reuters
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The Israel Premier technical team has been removed from the upcoming Giro Dell’emilia Cycling Race over public safety concerns, organizers said on Saturday.
The decision comes after recent Vuelta A Espana races have caused some confusion by pro-Palestinian protesters, and Israeli sect technology is the main focus of the protest.
The Giro Dell’emilia Race, one day finishing in Bologna on October 4th, is raising fear that the finish could be a target for protests.
Palestinian protesters clashed with police in Milan on Monday during a nationwide strike in Italy where unions were convened over the mass murder of Palestinians in Gaza.
“Following recent events, taking into account the characteristics of the final circuit, I had to abandon my team this year for the safety of all athletes, technical staff and spectators,” race organizer president Adriano Amici told Reuters.
On Friday, the UCI, the global cycling governing body, said it would continue to welcome Israeli athletes in the competition despite its demand for boycotts.
“I think it’s a shame that the threat of violence has disrupted our sport,” an Israeli Pumier technology spokesman told Reuters, adding that conversations with race organizers have been ongoing in the past few days. “I hope the organizers have been successful.”
Last week, the UN Commission on Inquiry said in a report that Israel committed genocide in Gaza, a charge dismissed by Israel, UN experts were seeking a halt from Israeli international football.
The European Football Association Union appears poised to vote to halt Israel from the European competition next week.
Israel is fighting the genocide case at the International Court of Justice in the Hague, citing its right to self-defense following the Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people and brought 251 hostages on October 7, 2023, and has rejected such charges.
Gaza health officials say the subsequent war in Gaza killed more than 64,000 people, but global hunger monitors say some of the territory is suffering from hunger.
Israeli-based technology, which removed the name from rider’s jerseys during Vuelta a Espana, is now reviewing branding for next year, putting pressure on sponsors to change their name.
