At the protest rally in the city of Malmo, Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg participated to express her opposition to Israel’s involvement in the Eurovision Song Contest amid the war in the Gaza Strip.
During the protest, demonstrators chanted slogans such as “No to genocide!” and “Down with Israel!”, while waving Palestinian flags. Some protested against Israel’s participation, while others opposed the hosting of the contest altogether.
Meanwhile, during the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest, a scandal erupted involving Swedish singer Eric Saade, who is not a participant but performed at the opening ceremony alongside singers Eleni Foureira and Chanel. Saade appeared on stage wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh wrapped around his wrist, which was interpreted as a political gesture. Additionally, the singer supports banning Israel from participating in the song contest and expressed outrage that the Palestinian flag cannot be used in the competition.
The Eurovision organizers commented on the incident, expressing their regret over the artist’s actions.
“The Eurovision Song Contest is a live event. All artists are familiar with the rules of the contest. We regret that Eric Saade chose to disregard the non-political nature of the event,” the organizers said in a statement.
