The Tour de France peloton rode into a wave of political protest on Wednesday as dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators lined the route through Dieulefit, a small town in southeastern France known for sheltering Jewish families during World War Two.
Palestinian flags hung from balconies. More flags in hand, protesters lined the streets chanting “Free Palestine” as the cyclists rolled through the small town of 3,000. One sign read “Affamer c’est tuer” — “Starving is killing.”
While the Tour de France typically draws festive crowds and regional fanfare, political demonstrations are unusual. This year, Gaza was front and center.
Vanessa Huguenin, who runs a local department store, helped organize the protest. She said the plan had been in motion for nearly two months.
“We can’t change Israel or Hamas,” she said, “but we want our government to act, not just say ‘it’s not good.’”
A similar protest took place during last year’s race, though it was smaller. Last week, police arrested a man in Toulouse after he entered the final stretch of a stage wearing a shirt reading “Israel out of the Tour” and waving a black and white keffiyeh.
In Dieulefit, tensions were again directed toward the Israel-Premier Tech cycling team, Israel’s first elite squad. Through a loudspeaker, one protester called the team’s co-owner, Sylvan Adams, a “spokesperson for a genocidal army” and demanded that the team be removed from the event.
Israel rejects allegations that its military campaign in Gaza amounts to genocide. The war began nearly two years ago, after Hamas killed about 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages in the deadliest attack in the country’s history, according to Israeli officials.
Since then, more than 59,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory’s health ministry. Vast swaths of the region have been reduced to rubble, and most residents have been displaced multiple times.
Israel-Premier Tech issued a response saying it respects the right to protest but emphasized its focus on racing.
“We continue to work closely with race organisers and relevant parties to ensure that any protests do not jeopardize team members’ safety, nor impact races, or our right to participate,” the team said in a statement.
The team has received additional security. Police officers guard their bus, and plainclothes officers have escorted members at events, including the team presentation in Lille.
Huguenin, 45, says the protest reflects the town’s legacy. Her grandparents sheltered persecuted families during World War II, and she believes the same spirit of solidarity applies now.
“Here we say no one is a stranger,” she said. “Being ‘just’ means protecting everyone, regardless of race or religion.”
The protest remained peaceful. No arrests were reported in Dieulefit on Wednesday.
Last week’s protester in Toulouse is expected to stand trial. He faces charges of endangering cyclists and refusing to provide fingerprints. He claims a security official threw a walkie-talkie at him during the arrest.
Race organisers, Amaury Sports Organisation, declined to comment on either incident.
