Eurovision draws street protests calling for Israel’s ejection

The war in Gaza is looming over this year’s Eurovision – Copyright TT NEWS AGENCY/AFP Johan NILSSON

Thousands of demonstrators, including climate activist Greta Thunberg, marched through the streets of Sweden’s Malmo on Thursday to protest against Israel’s participation in Eurovision, an AFP journalist observed.

This year’s Eurovision song contest opened in the southern city on Tuesday, with the grand finale Saturday, but the war in Gaza is looming over the festivities.

“I am a Eurovision fan and it breaks my heart but I’m boycotting,” 30-year-old protester Hilda, who did not want to provide her surname, told AFP.

“I can’t have fun knowing that Israel is there participating when all those kids are dying. I think it’s just wrong.” 

More than 10,000 people gathered on Thursday afternoon in Malmo’s main square before marching through the city’s central pedestrian shopping street, according to police estimates.

Alongside signs that read: “Liberate Palestine”, banners that said “EUR legitimises genocide” and “colonialism cannot be washed in pink” could be seen in the crowd.

About 50 protesters made it to the front of the Malmo Arena, where the event is taking place, before being dispersed by a heavy police presence. Protesters also entered the Eurovision Village, where spectators can follow the concert on large screens.

In a different neighbourhood, about 100 counter-protesters gathered under police protection to express their support for Israel.

The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas’ unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Militants also took about 250 hostages. Israel estimates 128 of them remain in Gaza, including 36 who officials say are dead.

Israel in response vowed to crush Hamas and launched a military offensive that has killed at least 34,904 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.

– ‘Nothing to celebrate’ –

In 2022, Russia’s state broadcaster was excluded from the European Broadcasting Union, which oversees Eurovision, in the wake of the war in Ukraine.

“I feel like if they can remove Russia why can they not do it to Israel?” said protester Marwo Mustafa.

“The people are here for Eurovision trying to celebrate. There’s nothing to celebrate. It’s an ongoing war,” added 29-year-old Mustafa Mustafa.

Israel’s entry, “Hurricane” by singer Eden Golan, will compete in Thursday’s semi-final. It has already been partially re-written and given a new title after Eurovision organisers deemed the original version to be too political. 

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday wished Golan good luck and said she had “already won” by enduring the protests that he called a “horrible wave of anti-Semitism”.

Since the beginning of the year, several petitions have demanded Israel’s exclusion from the 68th edition of the annual music competition.

At the end of March, contestants from nine countries, including Swiss favourite Nemo, called for a lasting ceasefire.

Protester Cecilia Brudell told AFP: “At six and nine, my children are now at an age where they want to watch Eurovision but this year we are completely boycotting it.”