Sour notes as Eurovision hit by protest and scandal
EUROVISION was plunged into turmoil before it even started last night after being plagued by a series of controversies and a mass demonstration against Israel.
Police said about 5,000 people protested outside Sweden’s Malmo Arena, with one banner being held aloft saying “Welcome to the Genocide Song Contest”.
And Swedish eco-activist Greta Thunberg, 21, was among those removed by police during a demonstration outside the venue.
It came hours after Dutch rapper Joost Klein was kicked out as police investigated an allegation of intimidation made by a female member of the production crew.
Then Ireland’s entrant, Bambie Thug, missed their final dress rehearsal and lodged a complaint about Israeli broadcaster KAN’S coverage of their performance during Tuesday’s semi-final.
A commentator reportedly referred to the singer as speaking “negatively about Israel” and “prepare your curses”.
France’s entry Slimane, 34, then interrupted his own dress rehearsal and proclaimed the contest should be “united by music, yes, but for love, for peace” to the rapturous cheers of the audience.
Inside the 15,500-capacity arena where the 68th Eurovision Song Contest was
held, organisers the European Broadcasting Union banned Palestinian flags and symbols from the show. Ticketholders were allowed to display only those of the nations taking part or rainbow flags.
But while a ring of steel was thrown around the venue and Eurovision village, thousands of protesters gathered in the city centre to demonstrate against Israel’s participation and the war in Gaza.
The marchers carried Palestinian flags and one man held up a figure in a bloodied body bag with “Eurovision is celebrating genocide” written underneath.
Israel’s entrant Eden Golan, 20, had been confined to her hotel room for safety
all week and was escorted to the venue by 100 armed Swedish and Israeli agents.
But she defiantly walked on stage and waved the Israeli flag for the final last night as the audience cheered.
In preparation for the hostile reception she had expected to receive she rehearsed her power ballad Hurricane while her team booed her loudly.
Yesterday, a Eurovision party was held in Liverpool’s Exhibition Centre – last year’s stand-in host for Ukraine.
But UK protest groups instructed their followers to boycott and picket bars and other venues celebrating the annual event, with some parties cancelled over safety fears. And last night a spokesman for Rishi Sunak called the protests at Eurovision “outrageous”.
He said: “We are incredibly mindful of the Israelis and also Jewish people around the world who love Eurovision, and their feelings seeing this in the aftermath of what was an atrocious terror attack and while hostages are still held by Hamas. We would urge people to consider this when repeating these unfair calls for a boycott.”
The biggest controversy was the disqualification of rapper and singer Klein, 26, who had been hostile to Ms Golan in a press conference after Thursday’s semifinals. Greece’s Marina Satti also pretended to fall asleep as she spoke.
Klein missed Friday’s rehearsals and yesterday morning organisers EBU disqualified him following the complaint.
A spokeswoman for the Swedish Police Authority said: “A man is suspected of unlawful threats.”
Norway’s jury spokeswoman Allesandra Mele also pulled out of reading out her country’s votes citing the “inflamed situation” in Malmo, while her Finnish counterpart did the same.
Ms Golan was the second favourite to win behind Croatia’s Baby Lasagne and his catchy rock song Rim Tim Tagi Dim.
The UK’S Olly Alexander, 33, with his song Dizzy, was seen as a rank outsider.