Pro-Palestinian demonstrators staged a protest on Sunday in Bilbao, the capital of Spain’s northern Basque region, condemning the police treatment of several members of the “Freedom Flotilla” following an incident at the city’s airport. Protesters chanted pro-Palestinian slogans and called on Spanish authorities to provide accountability and halt what they described as violent treatment of activists. The demonstration was also held in solidarity with the “Freedom Flotilla” and in protest against what participants described as the suppression of activists. Spanish police were involved in an altercation with several members of the group at Bilbao Airport after their return on Saturday. Images showing activists being beaten have sparked widespread reactions. The aid vessel operated by the “Freedom Flotilla,” which was heading toward Gaza, was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea near Cyprus. Members of the group were transferred to Israel and detained for a period. Some members of the group later alleged that they were subjected to physical and sexual abuse while in detention in Israel. These allegations have not been independently verified.
