Thousands protest Eurovision as tensions over Israel escalate
Thousands of people have protested ahead of the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest in the Swedish city of Malmo. Despite attempts by organisers of this year’s contest to keep politics off the stage, Israel’s entrant was also booed.
Protesters waving Palestinian flags packed the historic Stortorget square near Malmo’s 16th-century town hall before a planned march through the city. Police estimated that between 10,000 and 12,000 people took part. Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was among them.
Eden Golan of Israel performs the song Hurricane at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden.Credit: Martin Meissner/AP Photo
About 1000 more people gathered outside the stadium where security around the event, already tight following Sweden’s admission to NATO earlier this month, intensified overnight.
What were relatively calm lines leading into Malmö Arena turned into long queues, as the security cordon tightened. Organisers also clarified the rules about taking flags into the show: the flags of competing countries and the gay pride flag were welcome, but non-competitor flags, including the flag of Palestine, were not.
During dress rehearsals yesterday, Israeli singer Eden Golan’s performance was met with shouts of “free Palestine” and booing from sections of the ticketed audience. Reaction to Golan’s performance during the live telecast today was much calmer, with some booing but also wide applause.
During the press conference after the telecast, Golan was asked whether she had considered that her presence brought “a risk to the other participants and the public”. Golan replied: “I think we’re all here for one reason and one reason only. The EBU is taking all safety precautions to make this a safe and united place for everyone.”
The structure of Eurovision means that the 37 competing countries do not always appear on stage together. 15 countries, including Australia, competed in the first semi-final, earlier this week. (Australia’s entrant, Electric Fields, was eliminated.)
Another 16 countries – including Israel, the focal point of much of the protest activity – performed in the second semi-final overnight, chasing the last 10 open slots in the grand final.
Malta, Albania, Czechia, Denmark, San Marino and Belgium were sent home. That means Latvia, Austria, Netherlands, Norway, Israel, Greece, Estonia, Switzerland, Georgia and Armenia now proceed to the final.
They will join the 10 winners from the first semi-final - Cyprus, Serbia, Lithuania, Ireland, Ukraine, Croatia, Slovenia, Finland, Portugal and Luxembourg - and proceed into this weekend’s grand final, where they meet the so-called “Big Five” (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK) and last year’s winner, Sweden, all of whom get a confirmed spot in the final.
People wave Palestinian flags during protests in Eurovision host city Malmo, Sweden, ahead of the secnd semi-final.Credit: AP Photo / Martin Meissner
While Australia’s official participation in this year’s Eurovision was crushed in a first semi-final packed with the competition’s best performances, including Croatia’s Baby Lasagna, which is tipped to win, we still have a flag in the contest: Australian singer Silia Kapsis, who is representing Cyprus.
Sydney-born singer/dancer Kapsis, 17, did not appear in the second semi-final overnight; her win earlier in the week means she now proceeds into this weekend’s final.
Australian singer Silia Kapsis, who is representing Cyprus, backstage at the first Eurovision semi-final. Kapsis is representing Cyprus at the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest.Credit: EBU / Alma-Bengtsson
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) was at pains to shield Golan from direct criticism. “Any decisions regarding participation are the responsibility of the EBU’s governing bodies, not the individual artists,” it said in a statement.
Earlier this week, there were behind-the-scenes tensions around Ireland’s Bambie Thug, who had rehearsed with two potentially rule-breaking markings on their body: the words “free Palestine” and “ceasefire”, written in the medieval alphabet Ogham.
Prior to taking the stage for the live broadcast of the first semi-final, Thug was told by organisers that both would have to be removed or they would not be allowed to perform. Thug complied.
“I am pro-justice and pro-peace and this will never change,” Thug said in a statement released via her social media channels. “We must continue to strive to lead with love and look past our differences and remember that under our skin we are one human race and one spirit.”
The Swedish Transport Agency imposed a no-fly zone over large parts of Malmö during the contest, to allow police drones and helicopters freedom of movement. The police are being supported by aircraft and seacraft from Swedish Customs and the Swedish Coast Guard, police said.
“We have built a robust system with different areas of responsibility to ensure a safe and secure event,” Petra Stenkula, the police operation commander and head of the Malmö Police District, said.
On current polling, the countries leading the competition are Croatia, Switzerland, Ukraine, Ireland and Italy. Behind them are France, Netherlands, France, Israel, Greece and Finland.
The results of the Eurovision semifinals are determined wholly by “tele-vote”; that is, voting by the TV viewing audience.
Each competing country votes via mobile phone; with the results ranked into assignments of 12, 10 and then 8 through 1 point. This weekend’s final uses both a jury score and audience tele-voting to determine an overall winner.
The semi-final was continuing on Friday morning (AEDT).
With AP
Eurovision semi-final 2 will be replayed on Saturday, May 11, at 7.30pm on SBS. The Eurovision grand final will air live on Sunday, May 12, at 5am and will be replayed at 7.30pm.
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