Protestors at Tour of Britain accuse Israel-Premier Tech of 'sportswashing'

Pro-Palestine activists have accused Israel-Premier Tech of "sportswashing" Israel's reputation at the Lloyd's Bank Tour of Britain Men this week.

Around 30 protestors gathered in Kelso ahead of stage one of the race on Tuesday morning, many holding Palestine flags among the crowds. The protest was one of a series planned throughout the week, calling into question the ProTeam's inclusion in the race while its namesake nation, Israel, continues its military occupation of Palestine.

In a statement shared by Israel-Premier Tech, a spokesperson said the team is "excited to race" at the Tour of Britain and "respects everyone's right to free speech".

The protests in Kelso were organised by a collective of groups, including Scottish Sport for Palestine, the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC) and the Gaza Genocide Emergency Committee (GGEC), who also wrote an open letter to British Cycling opposing Israel-Premier Tech's participation in the race.

"We're not just angry folk coming to try and spoil a bike race," Borders SPSC chair Elisa Smith told Cycling Weekly. "I would have been here anyway watching. I'm pretty gutted that British Cycling have included this team, to be honest." 

Smith added that the protest at the stage start, which included booing the Israel-Premier Tech riders during the team presentation, was "received very badly" by other spectators. 

"My fellow cycling fans, we got a lot of abuse from them. They did not want to know anything about it," she said. "We had photos of the team owner, Sylvan Adams, with Benjamin Netanyahu [prime minister of Israel] and Isaac Herzog, the president [of Israel]. They just didn't want to know. They kept saying things like, 'You're spoiling the vibe.'" 

On Monday, Smith and other protestors from the SPSC confronted members of Israel-Premier Tech staff and posted a video on their Instagram page.

"It's sportswashing what you're doing," one protestor can be heard saying in the video. "Why have you taken Israel off your team car? Because you guys know, don't you? That you're supporting a genocide."

This year, Israel-Premier Tech have removed the name "Israel" from their team vehicles, a move described as a "precautionary measure" due to safety concerns.

The team, which has no direct link to the Israeli state, said it would still "continue to proudly race as Israel-Premier Tech" in 2024.

In planning the action at the Tour of Britain, the GGEC wrote: "IPT billionaire co-owner Sylvan Adams, a self-styled 'ambassador at large for the state of Israel', sees sport as a means of enhancing the country's standing amid its trial at the ICJ [International Court of Justice] for the crime of genocide and its system of apartheid – a common diversion tactic known in the human rights community as sportswashing."

Protestors from Scottish Sport for Palestine have also accused British Cycling, the organisers of the Tour of Britain, of "tak[ing] genocide on tour" by inviting Israel-Premier Tech to the race.

Responding to the protests, a British Cycling spokesperson told Cycling Weekly: "We fully respect the right of everyone to express their point of view and protest peacefully.

"We ask that people do so with their own safety and the safety of others in mind, and to refrain from action that could compromise people's safety."

Further protests are expected this week at the race, which concludes in Felixstowe on Sunday.