Joost Klein expelled as Eurovision braces for protests
World
vJoost Klein expelled as Eurovision braces for protests
MALMO, Sweden (Reuters) - Thousands of people protested in Malmo on Saturday against Israel's participation in Eurovision Song Contest, with the Israeli military campaign in Gaza casting a shadow over the final of the glitzy contest.
Eurovision organisers, who always bill the annual event as non-political, have resisted calls to exclude Israel, but requested that the lyrics of its entry be changed to remove what organisers called references to the deadly Hamas attack on Oct. 7 that triggered the war.
A large crowd of protesters gathered on the central square of the Swedish host city before marching towards the contest venue, waving Palestinian flags and shouting "Eurovision united by genocide" - a twist on the contest's official slogan "United by music".
"It's important to show, like, we are going to stand on the right side for everyone. This could be any other country and we would still be standing here because this is about children, men and women who have been occupied for so many years," said one protester on Saturday, Maryam, who gave only her first name.
Police estimated that between 6,000 and 8,000 people joined the demonstration.
The final, the culmination of the festival of catchy songs, gaudy costumes and tongue-in-cheek kitsch, kicks off at 1900 GMT.
There have been increasingly vocal protests abroad against Israel's war in Gaza, including on U.S. college campuses in recent weeks.
In Malmo, French singer Slimane halted his rehearsal act on Saturday to say it had been a childhood dream of his to sing for peace.
"We need to be united by music," Slimane said, referring to the official Eurovision slogan, followed by cheering from the crowd in the auditorium.
More than 10,000 pro-Palestinian campaigners, including climate activist Greta Thunberg, staged a non-violent protest ahead of the semi-final on Thursday.
A smaller group of pro-Israeli supporters, including members of Malmo's Jewish community, also staged a peaceful demonstration on Thursday, defending Israeli solo artist Eden Golan, 20, and her right to take part in the contest.
Pro-Palestinian protesters have complained of double standards as the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) that organises the contest banned Russia from Eurovision in 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine.
