A few dozen pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in Quebec City to denounce the presence of the Israel-Premier Tech (IPT) team at the city’s cycling Grand Prix event.
They are calling for people not to vote for incumbent Mayor Bruno Marchand in the fall municipal election, accusing him of failing to strongly condemn what experts and international organizations have described as genocide in the Gaza Strip.
The protesters said they did not intend to disrupt Friday’s race, unlike other groups who have blocked roads at European events.
Protester Marjorie Laclotte-Shehyn said Marchand should have refused to let the team participate.
She said allowing the team to participate is a form of “complicity” and “normalization” of Israel’s actions.
The IPT team is not funded by the State of Israel, but rather by Quebec-born billionaire Sylvan Adams.
The team changed its name and jersey to display only the abbreviation IPT and remove any reference to Israel to avoid incidents such as those that occurred at the Spanish Vuelta, where protesters blocked roads and caused safety concerns for riders.
On Friday, Laclotte-Shehyn was one of about 30 protesters who gathered along the Quebec City race route to protest the team.
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“Why are Russians being banned following the illegal invasion of Ukraine, but you are allowing Israel to compete?” the doctoral student asked.
In a letter sent to Marchand, the protesters argued that IPT is a propaganda tool used to polish Israel’s image.
“I think cyclists are being used as a political showcase to whitewash a state that is committing genocide,” Laclotte-Shehyn said.
“We are aware that athletes are not politicians, but they still make a conscious choice to represent a state.”
Protesters also want to make their voices heard at the Montreal Cycling Grand Prix on Sunday.
Israel-Premier Tech has seven riders entered in the two races, including Canadians Hugo Houle and Guillaume Boivin.
Bikers4Palestine, Palestinian and Jewish Unity (PAJU), and the Divest for Palestine Collective have announced that they will demonstrate at the foot of Mount Royal, near the route the athletes will take.
The groups argue that the IPT team acts as a tool for “sportswashing,” a term used when an organization uses a sporting event to improve its reputation and cover up misdeeds.
Sylvan Adams is an Israeli of Quebec origin whose fortune is estimated at over $1 billion. A cycling enthusiast, he lives in Israel and is one of the team’s main sponsors.
Earlier this month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his support for Adams because he refused to withdraw his team from sporting events despite protests from opponents.
The team’s other main sponsor is Premier Tech, a Quebec company headquartered in Rivière-du-Loup.
It designs a wide range of products, including automated systems for the manufacturing industry, products used in water management and sanitation, and agricultural products such as fertilizers.
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