Sweden’s Eurovision kicks off in the bleak shadow of genocide in Gaza

Malmö, Sweden – – AFP

After a run-up in the shadow of Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, the Eurovision Song Contest final gets underway on Saturday in Sweden’s Malmo, where representatives from 26 countries will compete.

Up to 30,000 demonstrators from the Free Palestine Movement are expected to protest against Israel’s participation in the competition over its genocidal offensive in Gaza on Thursday, when the country’s representative Eden Golan takes part in the second semi-final.

Inside the Malmo Arena, it’s all neon lights, bright costumes and upbeat melodies.

Outside, despite the colourful decorations lining the streets, the mood is more sombre as heavily armed police patrol the city.

Israel’s war on Gaza war has killed at least 34,844 people in Gaza, mostly women and children.

Since October, pro-Palestinian rallies have been a regular occurrence in Malmo, which is home to the majority of Sweden’s population of Palestinian origin.

Throughout the port city of more than 360,000 inhabitants, brightly coloured banners compete for attention with Palestinian flags hanging from windows and balconies.

Organizers have banned all flags other than those of the participating countries inside the arena, as well as all banners with a political message.

– ‘Politics is everywhere’ –

Last year, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which oversees the competition, banned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky from speaking in the arena in order to protect the neutrality of the event.

This neutrality was challenged on Tuesday during the first semi-final by Swedish singer Eric Saade, who took part in the opening number of the competition wearing a keffiyeh around his arm.

Swedish broadcaster SVT and the EBU condemned his gesture, insisting on the apolitical nature of the popular music festival — which is more often associated with flashy performances.

“It’s just its complete own world. It’s a very joyful, colourful world, a world where I feel safe,” said Nemo, a Swiss artist who identifies as non-binary and is one of the favourites.

Malmo is expecting up to 100,000 visitors, and for fans of the contest “it’s what’s on stage that is important”, Andreas Onnerfors, professor of the history of ideas and a Eurovision specialist, told AFP.

Nine contestants, have publicly called for a lasting ceasefire in Gaza.

Representatives of some countries considered boycotting the competition to protest Israel’s participation, but decided against it in the end.

– ‘Intensification’ –

Sweden raised its security apparatus fearing backlash from Muslims following a series of protests involving desecrations of the Islamic religious scriptures.

Some members of the Jewish community are planning to leave the city for the weekend.

“With Eurovision, there’s a kind of intensification. The feeling of insecurity increased after October 7, and many Jews are worried,” said Fredrik Sieradzki, a spokesman for local group The Jewish Community of Malmo.

“I can’t really be happy about Eurovision, even though as a congregation we think it’s good that everyone is welcome here in Malmo, including Israel,” he added.

Security around the synagogue has been stepped up, while on social networks, threats have been directed at Israel’s singer Golan.

As the final starts at 9:00 pm on Saturday, activists will be organizing the first edition of ‘Falastinvision’ in solidarity with the Palestinian people.