Written by Jacob Gronholt Pedersen
MALMO, SWEDEN (Reuters) – Thousands of Israelis turned out to attend the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö on Saturday, as Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip overshadowed the final of the glitzy competition. A protest was held against the participation of
Eurovision organizers have always touted the annual event as apolitical and have resisted calls to exclude Israel, but the October 7 event that triggered the war It demanded that the entry's lyrics be changed to remove what organizers called a reference to the deadly Hamas attack. .
A large number of protesters gathered in the central square of the Swedish host city and then marched towards the contest venue, waving Palestinian flags and saying „Eurovision is united by genocide“ (a play on the contest's official slogan „United by music“). ) he shouted.
„It's important to show that we're going to stand on the side that's right for everyone. This could be any other country, but we'll still be standing here, because this is a long-standing Because it's about children, men and women who have been occupied,'' one protester, Mariam, said on Saturday, asking only to give her first name.
Police estimate that between 6,000 and 8,000 people took part in the demonstration.
The finale, the culmination of a festival of catchy songs, flashy costumes and tongue-in-cheek kitsch, kicks off at 19:00 GMT.
In recent weeks, protests against Israel's war in Gaza have grown louder abroad, including on U.S. university campuses.
In Malmö, French singer Slimane canceled rehearsals on Saturday and said it had been his childhood dream to sing for peace.
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„We need to be united by music,“ Slimane said, referring to Eurovision's official slogan, as the audience in the auditorium erupted in cheers.
More than 10,000 pro-Palestinian activists, including environmental activist Greta Thunberg, staged a non-violent protest ahead of Thursday's semi-final.
A small group of pro-Israel supporters, including members of Malmö's Jewish community, also staged a peaceful demonstration on Thursday to defend Israeli solo artist Eden Golan, 20, and her right to participate in the contest.
Pro-Palestinian protesters are complaining of double standards after the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes the contest, banned them from competing in Eurovision 2022 in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. There is.
The Oct. 7 Hamas attack killed about 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his country will not stop fighting until Hamas is eliminated.
Israeli military operations in Gaza have killed nearly 35,000 Palestinians in shelling that has devastated the coastal enclave, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Dutch fans were disappointed
In another controversy at this year's Eurovision, Dutch contestant Joost Klein was expelled from the final on Saturday following complaints from production staff, the EBU announced.
„It would not be appropriate for him (Joost) to continue participating in the competition while the legal process continues,“ the EBU said in a statement.
A representative for Mr. Klein did not respond to a request for comment.
According to Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS, Klein was photographed shortly after she left the stage after performing in Thursday's semi-final, despite her explicit consent.
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„This was not respected,“ AVROTROS said in a post on social media platform X, adding: „This led to Joost making threatening movements towards the camera.“
According to AVROTROS, Klein did not touch the camerawoman, but found the penalty against the artist to be „extremely severe and disproportionate.“
Dutch fan Frank Zwartaud said: „We're very, very, very disappointed… and it's not a happy thing for all the Dutch fans here, it's not a good thing.“
According to the EBU, viewers in the Netherlands will still be able to vote for other contestants, and the results of the Dutch jury will also be reflected in the final.
Bookmakers have listed Croatia's Baby Lasagna, whose real name is Marko Pulisic (28), with „Rim Tim Tagi Dim'' as the favorite to win, followed by Israel's Golan with the song „Hurricane.''
A Reuters reporter who was in the auditorium said some booing could be heard from the audience before, during and after Golan's performance in the semifinals on Thursday, but there was also applause and Israeli flag waving. It is said that there was.