At the Australian road cycling championships, pro-Palestine protesters were removed from the course before the men’s road race began. The protesters, carrying placards, staged a rally at the start-finish line in Buninyong, near Ballarat. While the national anthem played and riders assembled at the start line, a protester ran over before being escorted off the course by police and officials. The group continued their protest on the side of the road, but the race proceeded as scheduled.
Among the 102 riders competing in the men’s road race was long-time Australian professional Simon Clarke, who rides for the Israel Premier Tech team. One of the protest placards specifically targeted the team, stating “Israel Premier Tech Not Welcome.” Israel-Premier Tech is a WorldTour-level team set to compete in the upcoming Tour Down Under in Adelaide, with Clarke featuring in a squad of seven riders. The team was created to promote cycling in Israel and has been competing at major road races such as the Tour de France since reaching WorldTour level three years ago.
The rally at the Australian road cycling championships is just the latest in a series of protests related to the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.