Last Friday, hundreds of people gathered in Vitoria-Gasteiz to denounce the Euroleague match between Saski Baskonia and Maccabi Tel Aviv. Despite the rain and cold, the demonstration was very well received and came from the neighborhood of Zaramaga to Buesa Arena, outside Maccabi! Under the motto.

The protest, organized by the platform Solidarity with Palestine, was dominated by Palestinian flags and ikurriñas, as well as cries against Israel and for the Palestinian people. The attendees denounced that Israel is making an effort to normalize through sport, so they demanded the expulsion of the Maccabi Tel Aviv from the Euroleague.

On the other hand, tension increased when supporters of the Baskonia Force were denied access to the banner with the slogan “Free Palestine”. They were forbidden to put the banner, even though they had permission. For this reason, the members of the Baskonia Force decided not to enter the match.

The protests in Vitoria-Gasteiz are not new, but this time with a great participation, it became clear that there is a growing support for the Palestinian people in the city. Similar protests have also taken place in several European cities, and anti-Israel demonstrations are becoming more frequent at sporting events.

The demonstration in Vitoria-Gasteiz ended without incident, but showed that the debate about participation in the European competitions of Israeli teams and the political instrumentalization of the sport is a subject of study.