Above photo: Sky News.
The audience loudly booed Israel’s Eden Golan as she performed in the competition.
Thousands of pro-Palestine demonstrators opposing Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest rallied in the Swedish City of Malmo on 11 May.
Around 6,000 to 8,000 protesters gathered at Malmo’s central square and then headed to the contest site, carrying Palestinian flags and chanting “Eurovision united by genocide,” a play on the contest’s official motto, “united by music.”
Some demonstrators were also overheard chanting “Shame on you,” directed at attendees entering the arena, urging for a boycott of this year’s event due to Israel’s participation.
Pro-Palestinian audience members audibly “booed” Israeli Eurovision artist Eden Golan during her performance.
Climate campaigner Greta Thunberg participated in the protest march but was escorted away from the venue by Swedish police.
Anti-war activists had been vocal for weeks about what they perceived as double standards, pointing out that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), responsible for the contest, barred Russia from Eurovision in 2022 after its invasion of Ukraine. Despite calls to exclude Israel from the competition due to its brutal war on Gaza, Eurovision organizers declined to do so.
In March, the EBU reaffirmed Israel’s participation, confirming that Eden Golan would represent Israel in the contest. The Eurovision organizers rejected Golan’s initial song, “October Rain,” due to its apparent reference to the 7 October Hamas-led military operation Al-Aqsa Flood.
In response to the mass criticism of Golan’s participation at Eurovision, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Golan had “won” the contest and that the protests were essentially a part of a “horrible wave of antisemitism.”
During the first semi-final on 7 May, the EBU criticized Swedish-Palestinian pop singer Eric Saade for undermining “the apolitical character of the event” by wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh on his wrist. Ireland’s performer, Bambie Thug, said that she also had to remove pro-Palestine symbols from her performance.
Despite pushback against Israel’s participation, it came in 5th place, holding 375 votes. According to public votes only, Israel came in 2nd place. According to the jury’s vote, it was ranked 12th place. Ultimately, Israel received top marks from 14 countries, including Australia, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the UK, Sweden and Switzerland.