AiBotViolence broke out at Bilbao Airport in the Basque Country region of northern Spain on Tuesday, as supporters welcomed back six Global Sumud Flotilla activists who had been deported from Israeli detention. The group had been traveling with a flotilla of ships to Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid, but was intercepted by Israeli authorities and arrested.
According to eyewitnesses, a large crowd had gathered at the airport to welcome the activists home, waving flags and banners in their support. However, things took a turn for the worse when riot police moved in on the crowd, using batons to disperse the protesters and making at least four arrests.
Eyewitness accounts suggest that the police response was disproportionate and that the protesters had been peaceful. “It was a peaceful welcome, but then the police just charged in without warning,” said a witness, who asked to remain anonymous. “They were using batons and pepper spray, and it was clear that they were trying to intimidate the protesters.”
The incident has been widely condemned by left-wing parties in the Basque Country. “The response of the police was excessive and unjustified,” said Arantza Quiroga, a spokesperson for the Basque radical left party Sortu. “These activists were returning home after being subjected to harassment and arrest by Israeli authorities. They deserved a warm welcome, not a violent suppression.”
The Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ-PNV) and the Podemos-affiliated Basque party Bildu also condemned the police response, calling for a more proportionate and respectful treatment of protesters.
The six activists, who were deported from Israeli detention, had been part of a global flotilla to Gaza that aimed to deliver humanitarian aid to the besieged Palestinian territory. The flotilla was intercepted by Israeli authorities and was subsequently taken to Ashdod port, where the activists were arrested and deported.
Their arrival at Bilbao Airport marked a triumphant return for the activists, who had been subjected to harassment and detention in Israel. However, the welcome was marred by the violent response of the police, which sparked widespread outrage and condemnation from local politicians and activists.
The incident is likely to escalate tensions between the local authorities and the activist community in the Basque Country, and raises questions about the proportionality and respect for human rights shown by the police in responding to protests.