A pro-Palestinian activist, who disrupted the finish of the Tour de France cycling race in July, was sentenced to a fine of 300 euros on Wednesday by the Toulouse criminal court.
During the trial, the Public Prosecutor underlined the danger posed by his intervention near the finish line, which could have led to the fall of the runner going at high speed in the final sprint.
“Freedom of expression must not come at the expense of public safety,” prosecutors told the defendant, a 26-year-old student at Normale Sup, before asking for a 500 euro fine and a two-year stadium ban.
“The mission is to get people talking about the people of Gaza and what they are going through”
The activist highlighted that he had organized his action with “all care not to hurt anyone or disrupt the race” and that he only wanted to “send a political message”, to protest against the presence of the Israeli team in the peloton.
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“And the goal, politically, has been achieved. The mission was to get people talking about the people of Gaza and what they are experiencing in Palestine,” the defendant told reporters after his sentence was handed down.
On July 16, less than 100 m from the finish line in the center of Toulouse, the end of the stage was marked by the entry of activists wearing “Israel out of the Tour” t-shirts. He was tackled like a rugby player by members of the racing organization.
Several months after the events in Toulouse, the Tour of Spain cycling race was disrupted by demonstrations protesting the presence of Israeli team Israel Premier Tech in the competition.
