Four Spanish activists from the Gaza Flotilla were detained at Bilbao airport after confronting police by blocking an exit. Two of them were hospitalized after being intercepted by Israeli forces. Israel accused Spain of hypocrisy and summoned the chargé d'affaires of the Spanish Embassy.
How Geolocation and Crowd Control Failed at the Airport 🛩️
Video surveillance and geolocation systems in airports allow tracking movements and predicting crowds. However, in Bilbao, the lack of coordination between security forces and the use of rigid containment protocols led to a physical confrontation. Facial recognition technology was able to identify the activists, but did not prevent the blocking of exits or the injuries. A failure in real-time communication between agents and control centers worsened the situation.
Israeli Hypocrisy Has Shades of Gray, But Not on the Tarmac 🚔
Israel accuses Spain of using force against the activists while criticizing the naval blockade. So, if you block a sea it's geopolitics, but if you block an airport door it's terrorism. The Spanish chargé d'affaires was summoned to hear the lesson, while in Barcelona another 20 activists arrived without incident and to applause. Good thing there was no need to deploy the Mossos with floaties.