Outrage in Spain after police beat Gaza flotilla activists

MADRID: Around two thousand protesters took to the streets of the Spanish city of Bilbao on Sunday to condemn the Basque police’s treatment of activists from a Gaza aid flotilla on their return from detention in Israel.

When 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.

Images showed police striking people with batons and pinning others to the ground while being jeered by onlookers. Before this, activists appeared to have blocked the exit for other passengers and police tried to move them.

Four people were arrested for serious disobedience, resisting arrest and assaulting law enforcement officers, the Basque regional police force, the Ertzaintza, said in a statement on Sunday.

Two of those arrested were activists who had just arrived from Turkiye, TVE reported.

The police force also launched an investigation into the incident. “Following what happened at the airport, the Ertzaintza internal affairs division has launched an investigation to determine whether the officers’ conduct complied with procedures,” it added.

On Sunday’s march, pro-Palestinian demonstrators carried banners criticising the Basque police force and accusing the local government of being complicit with Zionism.

The activists were released from Israeli custody after being detained on a flotilla trying to bring aid to Gaza. Organisers said on Friday that the activists were subjected to abuse while in Israeli detention, with several hospitalised with injuries and at least 15 reporting sexual assaults, including rape.

The group included 44 Spanish nationals, according to Spain’s foreign ministry.

Around 20 other activists from the flotilla landed at Barcelona airport on Saturday, where they were welcomed by supporters, including Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun.

Spain 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.

Francesca Albanese, a UN expert on the Palestinian territories, has called for those responsible for events at Bilbao airport to be held responsible.

Amnesty International has also demanded a thorough investigation and condemned the “excessive use of force” by Basque police officers at the airport and called for “effective accountability” over the incident,

“The images published show no legitimate cause for the use of force,” it added in a statement. “It is very serious that batons were repeatedly used against people who had already been knocked down and were on the ground.”

The Israeli Embassy in Spain has demanded an “explanation” from the Spanish government over the events at Bilbao airport.

Activists return to Ireland, UK

Meanwhile, British and Irish activists who were part of a Gaza-bound flotilla returned to London and Dublin on Saturday.

Among the Irish activists who arrived at Dublin Airport via Turkiye was Margaret Connolly, sister of Irish President Catherine Connolly.

She recounted being held with the other detained activists in “containers”, where she said several people risked hypothermia.

Several supporters sporting keffiyeh scarves and Palestinian flags turned out to welcome the Irish activists, who described being “abused” and “tortured” in detention.

“We were split in groups and the next couple of days were some of the most horrific times I’ve ever experienced,” said activist Tom Deasy.

Seven UK-based activists also landed at London’s Stansted Airport on Saturday, many still wearing Israeli prison tracksuits. They said that Israeli forces had shot rubber bullets at them when intercepting the convoy of vessels earlier this week.

“There was a woman in my prison cell who had a big hole in her leg as a result of one of those shootings,” said Hannah Schafer, a 62-year-old from Wales.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2026