Thousands of people marched through the streets of Malmö, Sweden, on Thursday to protest against Israel’s participation in Eurovision, just before the country’s entry into the competition, according to an AFP team on site.
According to the police, between 10 and 12,000 people gathered in the afternoon.
At the start of the evening, around fifty pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered in front of the Malmö arena, where the European song competition takes place, before being moved by numerous police officers.
Protesters also gathered at the Eurovision village, where the semi-final in which Israel competes is to be broadcast on the big screen.
“I’m a fan of Eurovision and it breaks my heart but I’m boycotting“, explains Hilda, a 30-year-old Swedish woman with pink hair, who does not wish to give her name. “I can’t have fun knowing that Israel is participating, when all these children are dying. I think it’s unfair.“
Israel’s participation in the competition, the final of which will be held on Saturday, has been contested in view of the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, with several petitions across Europe calling for its exclusion.
