Politics instead of music: In Malmö, before the semi-finals of the Eurovision Song Contest, thousands called for Israel to be excluded. Climate activist Greta Thunberg was also there. The protest against the Gaza war also takes place on stage.
Before the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), around 5,000 people peacefully protested against Israel’s participation in Malmö. They called for the country to be excluded from the music competition. The demonstrators used posters to criticize Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip as “genocide.” The demonstrators also criticized the European Broadcasting Union EBU because Russia was excluded from the ESC after the attack on Ukraine, but Israel was not, regardless of its actions in the Gaza Strip.
The number of participants in the demonstration was well below expectations; around 30,000 demonstrators had been expected. Numerous security forces were on duty.
The Israeli singer Eden Golan is a participant in the second ESC semi-final. Golan’s appearance has been causing protests for weeks.
Israeli singer Eden Golan is in the semi-finals of the Eurovision Song Contest. Thousands demonstrated for their exclusion.
Many Palestinians live in Malmö
Climate activist Greta Thunberg, who is known for her pro-Palestinian positions, also took part in the rally alongside many families.
Malmö is home to the majority of the Palestinian community in Sweden. Pro-Palestinian rallies have been taking place regularly in the city since the war between Israel and the radical Islamic Hamas began more than seven months ago.
There was also a demonstration with music in support of Israel. There will also be another demonstration against Israel’s participation. The police’s security measures in Malmö were significantly increased as planned – with support from Denmark and Norway, among others.
Several participants for the exclusion of Israel
The required neutrality of the music competition had already been demanded by Swedish singer Eric Saade in the first semi-final on Tuesday. He wore a Palestinian scarf on his arm during his performance, which was criticized by the organizers and the Swedish television station SVT. They emphasized the non-political nature of the event, which is best known for its shrill performances.
“There should be demonstrations, people should express their opinions, people should boycott,” said Magnus Bormark, who is running for Norway with his group Gate. Gate, along with other participants, had previously publicly called for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.