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10-05-2024
MALMO, SWEDEN: Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators have gathered in the Swedish city of Malmo to protest against Israel’s participation in the Eurovision song contest.
It comes as the city prepares to host the competition’s second semi-final on Thursday night, in which Israel’s entrant Eden Golan is performing.
On Wednesday, Ms Golan was booed during a rehearsal of her song Hurricane.
A smaller demonstration in support of Israel has also taken place.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg, was among those attending the pro-Palestinian protest.
She told media that there was a “moral obligation to act” and to speak out against Israel’s military operation in Gaza.
“If we are tens of thousands of people flooding the streets of Malmo when Eurovision is taking place, saying we will not accept this to continue, then it’s a very strong signal and it does make a difference,” Ms Thunberg said.
Another protester, Matilda Varatta, told media that she would like to see Israel disqualified as Russia was in 2022 following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“It’s not true that the Eurovision is not political, it has always been political and it will always be,” she said.
Earlier, Ms Golan said that she was “proud to represent my country” and that “nothing will deter” her.
“I’m focused on music, on the good energy, and there are so many people supporting me, and I feel like I have such an honor to represent my country, especially in these times”.
At the pro-Israel demonstration, people could be heard singing Hurricane in support of Ms Golan amid a significant police presence.
“I’m not that interested in Eurovision,” one demonstrator, Yael Sages Wahlstrom, told Sweden’s Svenska Dagbladet newspaper but “since there has been such a huge storm of hate against Israel, I wanted to support”.
The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation, which organizes the country’s contest entry, says it has asked the European Broadcasting Union to prevent a repeat of Wednesday’s booing incident.
The Swedish authorities say they have heightened security in place and are prepared for potential unrest.
Israel is currently engaged in a military campaign in Gaza, which they launched as a response to Hamas’ cross-border attack on southern Israel on 7 October.
About 1,200 people were killed and 252 others were taken hostage.
More than 34,900 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
Israel’s Eurovision contestant says “nothing will deter” her after getting booed during a dress rehearsal on Wednesday.
Eden Golan was performing her song Hurricane ahead of Thursday’s semi-final in Malmo, Sweden.
In a statement, she said she was “proud to represent my country”.
There have been several campaigns to block Israel from taking part in this year’s contest following the outbreak of war in the Middle East, and thousands of people joined pro-Palestinian protests in the city on Thursday but the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which hosts the event, has ruled Israel is allowed to compete.
After Wednesday’s dress rehearsal, several videos surfaced on social media from audience members who had recorded Golan being booed by some members of the crowd. (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
