September 26, 2025
In the West European imperialist countries, themselves consistent supporters of Israel even after nearly two years of genocidal slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza, the popular mass support for Palestine has reached new levels. In the face of relentless slaughter of civilians, Israel has now reached a level of universal disgust reminiscent of before apartheid South Africa’s massive change in the early 1990s.
The pro-Palestine movement in Britain is mobilizing what may be its biggest ever demonstration for Oct. 11; the Samud Flotilla is on its way to Gaza; Italian unions are striking and demonstrating in 60 cities Sept. 22 for Palestine; and activists waved Palestinian flags all over the massive anti-government protests in France Sept. 18. Here are two other examples of actions in the first half of September reported on by Todo por hacer in Spain and junge Welt in Germany that readers might have missed. Translation: John Catalinotto
Protest blocks bicycle race in Madrid to quash Israeli team
Madrid, Sept. 14, the last day of the popular bicycle sporting event, La Vuelta. The race is about to end in the capital city. Though people love to watch the end of this challenge, a more important question is in play. An official Israeli team is participating, Israel Premier Tech. For the mass of Madrileñxs, any official Israeli representative shares responsibility for the murder of tens of thousands of Palestinians.
Pro-Palestinians protestors hold a banner after invading the street during the 21st and last stage of the bicicle race Vuelta a Espana 2025, in Madrid Sunday, September 14.
Determined that La Vuelta would continue, the Spanish regime brought 2,200 agents into town to repress the demonstration, including national police and Civil Guards. To no avail. This is how it was described in Todo por hacer:
“According to the Government Delegation, 100,000 people brandishing Palestinian flags took over the center of Madrid that afternoon, jumped the fences, invaded the streets of the center of the capital, disobeyed the police and prevented the competition from finishing. There was no podium ceremony. The Vuelta ended with the race neutralized, with no final stage and with thousands of people defying the ‘strong organized deployment, the batons, the fences and the shields.’”
In continuation, Todo por hacer reported: “There was no way to continue: the overflow was generalized. The cries ‘This lap is won by Palestine’ or ‘Israel murders, Europe sponsors’ were heard in the streets of the center and in the RTVE broadcast, abandoned early by the presenters of the race. …
“It was a clear victory for the women of Madrid and the pro-Palestinian movement. Rarely, when we take to the streets, do we achieve such a resounding and immediately palpable victory as this one. Although, obviously, The Vuelta was not the end, but a means, it has been clear that we do not want, nor can we, normalize and whitewash the presence of a genocidal state in sport and that any relationship with Israel must be severed.”
Berlin lawyer’s collective charges German leaders with complicity in genocide
From an article by Philip Tassev in the Sept. 20 German daily newspaper junge Welt.
“What do Olaf Scholz, Boris Pistorius, Annalena Baerbock, Robert Habeck and Friedrich Merz have in common? They all belong in prison. At least according to the lawyers of the Berlin lawyers’ collective. [Scholz is a former and Merz the current Chancellor, Pistorius is the former and current Defense Minister, Baerbock, the former Foreign Minister and Habeck, the former Economic Minister.]
They’re not behind bars yet, but Berlin lawyers think they should be.
“On Sept. 19, the lawyers Nadija Samour and Benjamin Düsberg announced that, with the support of the European Legal Support Center, they had filed a criminal complaint against seven former and current members of the government as well as four managing directors and supervisory board chairmen of arms companies. The accusation: aiding and abetting genocide in Gaza, crimes against humanity, war crimes.
“Specifically, the eleven accused are accused of supporting the military machine of the apartheid state by supplying weapons, components and spare parts to Israel and of making the genocidal actions in the Gaza Strip possible in the first place. On 110 pages with over 600 footnotes, the accusations are substantiated with figures, facts and expert statements.
“In addition to the politicians mentioned in the first paragraph, the two incumbent ministers Johann Wadephul (Federal Foreign Office) and Katherina Reiche (Economic Affairs and Energy), as well as the armaments managers Jörg Stratmann (Rolls-Royce Solutions GmbH), Alexander Sagel, Susanne Wiegand (both Renk Group AG) and Michael Humbek (Dynamit Nobel Defence GmbH) are also accused.
“Rolls-Royce is the parent company of MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH, which produces engines for armored fighting vehicles, personnel carriers and self-propelled artillery — both in the Federal Republic of Germany and in the U.S. Several engine models are used in Israeli tanks such as the ‘Merkava’ and the ‘Eitan.’
“Renk from Augsburg is best known as a manufacturer of transmissions and chassis for military vehicles. … According to experts quoted in the criminal complaint, the Israeli ‘Merkava’ tanks are absolutely dependent on transmissions from Renk. Without them, no tank could roll into Gaza. To name just one sad example, a ‘Merkava’ crew is responsible for the murder of the five-year-old Hind Rajab, her six family members who were in the car with her and the two paramedics who tried to save the child. …
“With its application, the Berlin Lawyers’ Collective calls on Federal Prosecutor General Jens Rommel to initiate investigations against the accused for aiding and abetting genocide.”
