A human rights group in Montreal has asked the city’s mayor to stop the Israel-Premier Tech cycling team from joining the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal. This race is a big cycling event happening on Sunday. The group is worried because the team’s participation could be seen as ignoring serious issues happening in Gaza, where many people are suffering. The group says that allowing the team to race could support harmful actions and make it look like those actions are okay.
The group asking for this is called Palestinian and Jewish Unity, or PAJU. PAJU is made up of different people, including Jewish, Palestinian, and other Canadians. They believe that allowing the team to race would send the wrong message. Their letter to the city says it would be “highly harmful and inexplicable” to let the team race when people are dying from the war.
PAJU’s lawyers explained that Israel’s actions in Gaza have been called genocide by some human rights groups. The letter also says that sports can be used to cover up bad actions, a practice known as “sportswashing.” This means that sports events can make people forget or ignore serious crimes.
PAJU gave the city a deadline. They asked for the team to be removed by Tuesday at 4 p.m. If the team is not removed by then, they will take legal action.
The Israel-Premier Tech team’s Canadian-Israeli co-owner, Sylvan Adams, has said the team acts as ambassadors for Israel. However, in response to protests, the team later said they are just a “professional cycling team.”
When asked about PAJU’s demand, a spokesperson for the team said they didn’t need to respond. The organizers of the race also said they would not comment. The city and cycling’s world governing body didn’t reply when asked for their views.
This is not the first time protests have happened. In Spain, people asked for the team to be removed from the Vuelta a España, another famous race. There, protests led the team to change its uniforms to hide the Israel name, though the team name stayed the same.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also supported the team. He said the team was brave for not giving in to “hate and intimidation” and said they made Israel proud.
The Israel-Premier Tech team includes some Canadian cyclists, like Pier-André Côté, Michael Woods, Hugo Houle, Guillaume Boivin, Riley Pickrell, and Derek Gee. Some of these cyclists are having contract problems but still race with the team.
The team’s sponsor, Premier Tech, is based in Quebec. It’s owned by Canadians Jean Bélanger and Kevin Ham. These partnerships connect Canada’s business world to the team.
The Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal is one of only two major North American races in the world’s top cycling circuit. The other race is in Quebec City. These events bring international attention and big crowds. PAJU did not ask for the same ban in Quebec City.
Since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023, there have been many protests in Montreal. People from the community, especially at McGill University, gathered for months to show support for Palestinians. There have also been debates about Muslim prayers during these protests, with some arguing whether prayers should be allowed in public spaces.
The cycling protests are not the only sports-related issues. Many athletes, including Olympic runner Moh Ahmed, signed a letter asking Tennis Canada to cancel its match with Israel in Halifax. Tennis Canada decided to go ahead with the match while saying they want the competition to be safe and fair for everyone involved.
The demand to ban Israel’s cycling team from the Montreal race reflects how sports and politics often mix. PAJU believes that allowing the team to participate could send the wrong message about the conflict in Gaza. At the same time, the team and its supporters say they are just athletes and should not be targeted.
This debate shows how communities are trying to balance sportsmanship, human rights, and global issues. Many in Montreal hope that whatever happens, the city will make a decision that reflects its values of fairness, inclusion, and justice.
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