MADRID: Around two thousand protesters \u200ctook to the streets of the Spanish city of Bilbao on Sunday to condemn the Basque police\u2019s treatment of activists from a \u200bGaza aid flotilla on their return from detention in Israel.
\nWhen a relative of one of the six returning activists tried to approach them at Bilbao airport on Saturday, a police officer forcefully prevented him from doing so, leading to scuffles between both sides, images from state broadcaster TVE showed.
\nImages showed police striking people \u200cwith batons and \u200cpinning others to the ground while \u200bbeing \u200cjeered \u2060by \u200bonlookers. Before this, \u2060activists appeared to have blocked the exit for other passengers and police tried to move them.
\nThe Basque regional police force said in a statement on Sunday it had launched an investigation to determine if officers complied with procedures. Reuters has reached out to the Spanish government for \u2060comment.
\nOn Sunday\u2019s march, pro-Palestinian demonstrators carried banners \u200ccriticizing the Basque police force \u200cand accusing the local government of \u200bbeing complicit with Zionism.
\nThe \u200cactivists were released from Israeli custody after being detained \u200con a flotilla trying to bring aid to Gaza. Organizers alleged on Friday that the activists were subjected to abuse while in Israeli detention, with several hospitalized with injuries and at least \u200c15 reporting sexual assaults, including rape.
\nIsrael\u2019s prison service denied the allegations, and Reuters was not \u2060able to \u2060verify the activists\u2019 claims independently.
\nSpain was among a series of Western governments on Thursday which expressed their anger after Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted a video of himself mocking the activists as they were pinned to the ground in a prison.
\nFrancesca Albanese, a UN expert on the Palestinian territories, has called for those responsible for events at Bilbao airport to be held responsible, while Amnesty International has demanded a thorough investigation.
\nThe Israeli \u200bEmbassy in Spain has \u200bdemanded an \u201cexplanation\u201d from the Spanish government over the events at Bilbao airport.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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