2024-05-09 15:58:00
Greta Thunberg joins pro-Palestinian protest in Swedish Eurovision host city
Climate change activist Greta Thunberg led a pro-Palestinian protest in the Swedish city of Malmo this Thursday, before the Eurovision semi-final.
Sweden’s third largest city is preparing to host the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 despite calls from activists to boycott the competition due to Israel’s participation.
Speaking from the protest, Thunberg said young people have been “leading the way” when it comes to the pro-Palestinian protest movement and “showing the world” how it should react to the dire situation in Gaza, where fears of an Israeli offensive in the southern city of Rafah are growing by the hour.
Videos from news agencies showed protesters walking peacefully through the streets carrying slogans with signs such as “All eyes on Rafah” and “Eurovision fans against genocide.” The large crowd could also be heard chanting slogans such as “Palestine will live forever” and “Free Palestine.”
A protester named Matilda Varatta told Reuters that protesters want Eurovision to “disqualify Israel like they did to Russia when Russia invaded Ukraine.”
“It’s not true that Eurovision is not political, it always has been and always will be. So it’s just a false excuse,” Varatta added.
The European Broadcasting Union, which oversees the contests, has insisted on the apolitical nature of the event in light of the protests, taking drastic measures, for example, against contestants who wear pro-Palestinian symbols on stage. On Tuesday, Swedish-Palestinian singer Eric Saade performed in the first semi-final with a keffiyeh around his microphone, prompting condemnation from event organizers.
Ireland’s contestant Bambie Thug had planned to pull off a similar feat by inscribing the words “Ceasefire” and “Freedom for Palestine” across her body in Ogham, an early medieval alphabet used in Ireland. However, the organizers asked the artist to change the message before her appearance on stage.
Swedish police had previously said they were prepared for between 25,000 and 30,000 protesters to take to the streets of Malmo this Thursday.
A Swedish police spokesman, Jimmy Modin, told Reuters there will be “many police officers in Malmo during this week” to make Eurovision attendees feel “safe and secure.”
Large crowds are expected to flood Malmo Arena on Thursday night as sixteen countries feature in the second semi-final, all hoping to secure a place in Saturday’s grand final.
1715271952
#news #situation #Gaza