The activists who support Palestine have called for an independent investigation into the incident
Four people were arrested at Bilbao Airport in Spain after police confronted Global Sumud Flotilla supporters returning from detention in Israel on Saturday.
The mission was the latest in a series of maritime initiatives towards Gaza organized by pro-Palestinian aid workers seeking to challenge the Israeli military’s blockade of the area. It left Turkey earlier this month with about 400 activists from about 40 countries before being intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters on May 18. The participants were later deported.
According to local media reports, the incident occurred shortly after 2:00 p.m. local time on Saturday, when six members of the Basque delegation posed for the press after arriving at the airport. Clashes broke out after one supporter tried to approach the activists and was stopped by an officer from the Basque regional police. The fighting quickly escalated and led to clashes inside the station, with footage showing officers assaulting activists and supporters with batons.
The organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla explained “hot temper,” to curse “Police brutality” and called for an independent international investigation into the incident.
“Our comrades have been attacked by the police. They were beaten and knocked to the ground. The police officers pinned them to their knees, including one of their comrades who broke his shoulder blade,” activist Diana Zomeno told reporters.
“All this was done to people who have spent four days being tortured, assaulted, and violently,” he added, referring to the alleged suffering of the activists while in Israeli custody.
The incident sparked a political controversy, with Podemos party leader Ione Belarra, leader of the left-wing Podemos party in Spain, describing the confrontation as “unbearable,” while the left-wing political coalition Sumar condemned what it called “police repression” against activists. Sumar said it is unacceptable that people are supposed to do that “exposed to violence” in Israeli custody they met in the Basque Country with police brutality, identity checks, and arrests.
The Basque Department of Security defended the police response, claiming that some people gathered at the airport blocked the normal flow of passengers and led to clashes.
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