MALMO – Thousands of people protested in Malmo, Sweden, against Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest just hours after the Israeli singer performed on the event’s stage Eden Golan. Dozens then arrived from the city centre, where the demonstration was held, to the Malmo Arena, where the public waited in line to enter the hall: they waved Palestinian flags and sang chants against Israel and called for an end to the bombing of Gaza.
It was the first of two large pro-Gaza demonstrations organized by Stop Israel, a network of around 60 political groups, including the left-wing party that holds some seats in the Swedish parliament, and Fridays for future, the climate movement led by Greta Thunberg.
Eden Golan brings the now titled song to the Eurovision competition Hurricane after the organizers’ request that the text and title of the original be changed October rainfor the clear references to what happened on October 7, with the massacres perpetrated by Hamas terrorists where 1,139 Israelis lost their lives, many young people taking part in a rave and many citizens of the kibbutzim across the Israeli border.
A message from the Israeli Prime Minister arrived in Eden Golan in the evening Benjamin Netanyahu: “You are competing not only in Eurovision in a way that makes us proud, but you are competing successfully in the face of an ugly wave of anti-Semitism and you are resisting all this by representing the State of Israel with great honor.”
In the video message, referring to the boos the Israeli singer received from the audience during this week’s dress rehearsal, Netanyahu added: “When they ‘boo’ you, we shout ‘hurrah’ for you.”
