Police in Italy successfully intercepted and prevented pro-Palestinian activists from interfering with a sacred Olympic tradition on Saturday. 

The Italian police said that the pro-Palestinian activists were prevented from coming into contact with the opening stages of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics torch relay.

Both groups of protesters were removed before they reached the relay route in Rome, per police. 

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A third group of about 10 people that was monitored by police waved Palestinian flags when the relay passed by the city’s biggest university, La Sapienza.

There were also three people carrying signs in support of Venezuela near the American embassy.

In October, more than two million demonstrators marched through more than 100 Italian cities to protest the war in Gaza.

Olympic champion swimmer Gregorio Paltrinieri began the relay in the statue-lined Stadio dei Marmi and the torch was carried for 20 miles before ending the day in Piazza del Popolo.

The relay will cover nearly 7,500 miles and wind its way through all 110 Italian provinces before reaching Milan’s San Siro Stadium for the opening ceremony on Feb. 6.

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In all, there will be 10,001 torch-bearers.

The next stops on the torch relay are Viterbo on Sunday, and Terni on Monday.

Pro-Palestinian protesters causing disruption to sporting events have become increasingly regular over the past year, especially sporting events involving Israeli teams. 

Last month, multiple people were arrested at a soccer match in the United Kingdom that involved Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv. Israeli fans of the team were prohibited from attending the match due to safety concerns, but disturbances still broke out regardless, with anti-Israel protesters in the vicinity. 

Multiple people were arrested at a soccer match in the United Kingdom that involved Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv. Israeli fans of the team were prohibited from attending the match due to safety concerns, but disturbances still broke out regardless, with anti-Israel protesters in the vicinity. 

An Israeli cycling team was excluded from an October race in Italy, the Giro dell'Emilia, because of concerns over potentially disruptive pro-Palestinian protests. Organizers made the decision after protesters repeatedly disrupted the recent Spanish Vuelta. 

Seven of the past 11 days of racing at the Vuelta were cut short or interrupted because Spain's government estimated more than 100,000 people were on the streets in Madrid during the final stage in September. 

The protesters said their actions were aimed at denouncing Israel's military campaign in Gaza after Hamas' deadly attack on Israel Oct. 7, 2023.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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The University of Georgia Athletic Association is taking legal action against one of the football team's former star pass rushers. 

Georgia is asking for damages totaling $390,000 after defensive end Damon Wilson II elected to transfer to Missouri after the 2024 season. The department cited an NIL buyout clause in Wilson's contract and requested that a judge compel the defensive end to enter arbitration to reach a settlement. The clause in Wilson’s former agreement effectively acts as a buyout fee for terminating early.

Wilson was recently served a court summons, legal records show.

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After recording 3.5 sacks during his freshman and sophomore seasons at UGA, Wilson inked a new deal with Georgia's Classic City Collective. In January, just two weeks after landing the new contract, Wilson made the switch to Missouri.

Wilson had nine sacks in his first regular season with the Tigers.

The formation of collectives has become more common at schools across the nation. Many collectives include liquidated damages clauses in their agreements with players to try to protect financial investments in athletes and discourage transfers.

Wilson reportedly received payouts totaling $30,000 under the terms of his latest deal with Georgia before he left Athens, Georgia. The athletic association argues Wilson owed the $390,000 sum within 30 days of his departure.

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"When the University of Georgia Athletic Association enters binding agreements with student-athletes, we honor our commitments and expect student-athletes to do the same," Georgia spokesperson Steven Drummond said in a statement to ESPN.

Wilson could not be reached directly for comment. Missouri-based attorneys Bogdan Susan and Jeff Jensen are representing Wilson. Susan argued that Wilson's career decisions were never motivated by money.

"After all the facts come out, people will be shocked at how the University of Georgia treated a student athlete," Susan said in a statement.  "It has never been about the money for Damon, he just wants to play the game he loves and pursue his dream of playing in the NFL."

Georgia’s move marks one of the first times a school has publicly sought NIL damages from a former athlete over a breach of contract. The dispute sets the table for potentially setting a precedent on whether liquidated-damages clauses will act as an effective, defensible replacement for more traditional buyout fees.

However, it should be noted that Arkansas’ NIL collective did retain the services of an attorney to try to enforce a buyout clause in quarterback Madden Iamaleava's deal. Iamaleava ultimately spent his freshman season with UCLA. Wide receiver Dazmin James also left Arkansas, prompting his former school to file a complaint.

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