Four held after clashes at Spain airport as Gaza activists return
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According to reports, when a relative of one of the returning activists tried to approach the group at Bilbao Airport, a police officer forcefully prevented him from doing so.
SCREENSHOTS: X/@AJENGLISH
- Police detained four people at Bilbao airport following violent clashes between officers and supporters welcoming Gaza flotilla activists, sparking an internal investigation.
- Israeli forces detained hundreds of international activists, including 44 Spanish nationals, trying to break the blockade of Palestinian territories on May 18.
- Meanwhile, 20 other Gaza flotilla activists received a quiet welcome in Barcelona, including from Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun, on the same day.
AI generated
MADRID – The police detained four people at Bilbao Airport in northern Spain on May 23 following clashes that broke out after activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla returned home, officials said.
The incident occurred as supporters gathered in the arrivals hall to welcome six campaigners as they arrived on a flight from Turkey after being detained by Israeli forces.
When a relative of one of the activists tried to approach them, a police officer forcefully prevented him from doing so, leading to scuffles between both sides, public broadcaster TVE reported.
Images broadcast by the station showed the police striking people with batons at the airport and pinning others to the ground while being jeered by onlookers.
Four people were arrested for serious disobedience, resisting arrest and assaulting law enforcement officers, Basque regional police force Ertzaintza said in a statement.
“Following what happened at the airport, the Ertzaintza internal affairs division has launched an investigation to determine whether the officers’ conduct complied with procedures,” it added.
Two of those arrested were activists who had just arrived from Turkey, TVE reported.
Amnesty International condemned what it described as the “excessive use of force” by Basque police officers at the airport and called for “effective accountability” over the incident.
“The images published show no legitimate cause for the use of force,” it said in a statement.
“It is very serious that batons were repeatedly used against people who had already been knocked down and were on the ground.”
Hundreds of activists from countries worldwide were detained in Israel after they were intercepted at sea on May 18 while attempting to break the blockade of the Palestinian territory.
The group included 44 Spanish nationals, according to Spain’s Foreign Ministry.
Around 20 other activists from the flotilla landed at Barcelona airport on May 23, where they were welcomed by supporters, including Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun. AFP
