A protester displaying anti-Israel sentiments was arrested on Wednesday after breaching security and running onto the final straight of the Tour de France's 11th stage in Toulouse, AFP reported.
The individual, who was wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with "Israel out of the Tour" and holding a keffiyeh scarf, managed to circumvent barriers before being intercepted by a race staff member and subsequently arrested, local authorities confirmed.
The incident occurred as Norway's Jonas Abrahamsen secured a sprint victory. This disruption highlights ongoing tensions surrounding the Gaza war, which has led to increased security measures for certain participants in the prestigious cycling event.
The Israel-Premier Tech team, established by Israeli-Canadian billionaire Sylvan Adams, is participating in the Tour. Despite the team's origins, there are currently no Israeli riders competing in this year's race.
In response to the international controversy surrounding the conflict, the Israel-Premier Tech team had previously advised its riders to refrain from wearing jerseys with any explicit reference to Israel while training. This measure was reportedly taken as a precaution amidst heightened sensitivities.
France has seen a sharp rise in antisemitism since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 massacre in Israel and the war in Gaza which followed.
At the start of June, French Rabbi Elie Lemmel revealed he had been attacked twice within a single week.
According to testimonies brought forward during a recent Knesset discussion, antisemitic incidents in France have surged by a whopping 185%.
In late May, four sites connected to the Jewish community were vandalized in the Marais district of central Paris.
The sites included a Holocaust memorial, the Tournelles Synagogue, the "Chez Marianne" restaurant, and the Agoudath HaKehilot Synagogue; all were defaced with green paint.
A month prior, a 70-year-old Jewish man was brutally attacked in the town of Anduze, near Alès in France.
The elderly man, wearing a kippah and tzitzit, was feeding cats in the street when a drunk man approached him, demanding money. When the victim refused, the attacker punched and kicked him, while calling him a "dirty Jew" repeatedly, eyewitnesses said.