Eurovision: Thousands of people protest against Israel’s entry in Malmo

Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters have gathered in the Swedish city of Malmo to protest against Israel’s participation in the Eurovision song contest.

This comes as the city prepares to host the competition’s second semi-final on Thursday night, which will feature Israeli contestant Eden Golan.

A smaller rally in support of Israel also took place.

Climate activist Greta Thunberg was among those attending the pro-Palestinian protest, which Swedish police estimated had up to 12,000 participants.

He told the BBC there was a “moral obligation to act” and speak out against Israel’s military operation in Gaza.

“If we are tens of thousands of people flooding the streets of Malmo when Eurovision is taking place, saying that we will not accept this to continue, then it is a very strong signal and it makes a difference,” Thunberg said.

Another protester, Matilda Varatta, told the Reuters news agency that she would like to see Israel disqualified like Russia was in 2022 following its large-scale invasion of Ukraine.

“It is not true that Eurovision is not political, it has always been political and always will be,” he said.

Previously, Golan said she was “proud to represent my country” and that “nothing will deter her.”

“I’m focused on the music, on the good energy, and there are so many people supporting me, and I feel like I have a great honor to represent my country, especially in these times.”

In a video message posted on social media Thursday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wished Golan good luck and said he had “already won” after “successfully facing” what he described as a ” horrible wave of antisemitism” in Sweden.

At the pro-Israel rally, people could be heard singing Hurricane in support of Ms. Golan amid a significant police presence.

“I’m not that interested in Eurovision,” one protester, Yael Sages Wahlström, told Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet.

“But because there has been such a storm of hate against Israel, I wanted to support it.”

The Israel Broadcasting Corporation, which organizes participation in the country’s contest, says it has asked the European Broadcasting Union to prevent a repeat of Wednesday’s booing incident.

Swedish authorities say they have beefed up security and are prepared for possible unrest.

Israel is currently engaged in a military campaign in Gaza, which it launched in response to Hamas’ cross-border attack on southern Israel on October 7.

Around 1,200 people were killed and another 252 were taken hostage.

More than 34,900 people have died in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-run territory’s Health Ministry.