Protesters at RTÉ call for Eurovision boycott over Israel

Joan O'Sullivan Joan O'Sullivan | 05-03 08:15

Singers, musicians, artists and activists took part in the protest organised by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC).

It featured a "die-in" by health workers in scrubs depicting the Eurovision as a contest which it said was actively "art-washing" Israel's war crimes.

"In 2022, Russia and Belarus were banned," she said.

"The Eurovision Song Contest explained they had values of democracy, solidarity and unity and we are hoping that they would apply those same principles to the people of Palestine and ban Israel from the 2024 Eurovision.

"Our concern is the art-washing. Israel is an apartheid state, committing genocide upon the Palestinian people in Gaza, by them taking part in the Eurovision Song Contest it normalises what they're doing on a global stage- that's not acceptable."

Actor Stephen Rea read the poem 'If I Must Die' by Palestinian poet Refaat Alareer and singers Mary Coughlan and Hothouse Flowers frontman Liam Ó Maonlaí were among those who performed at the event.

In a statement, Irish Boycott Eurovision 2024 Coalition spokesperson and IPSC chair, Zoe Lawlor said: "Israel’s President Yitzhak Herzog has stated 'it’s important for Israel to appear in Eurovision’.

"We say the opposite. It’s vital to exclude the genocidal apartheid state of Israel from this global cultural platform.

(L-R) Hothouse Flowers frontman Liam Ó Maonlaí, musician Steve Wall, singer Mary Coughlan and actor Stephen Rea

"Ireland has shown the way in the 1980s in exposing the crimes of apartheid South Africa.

"It can do the same now, by withdrawing its participation, and standing on the side of humanity, equality and human rights."

The European Broadcasting Union allowed Eden Golan to represent Israel with her song "Hurricane", a rewritten version of another song that was considered too political for its references to the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel.

The Eurovision semi-finals take place in Malmo next Tuesday and Thursday, 7 and 9 May, with the final on Saturday week, 9 May.

Israel issues travel warning for Malmo

Israel has urged citizens to avoid travelling to Malmo ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest, citing "credible concerns" of attacks.

The travel advisory said that amid "anti-Israel protests" and "calls to harm Jews and Israelis", there are concerns "that terrorist factions will take advantage of the demonstrations and the anti-Israel atmosphere to execute attacks on Israelis coming to Sweden for the Eurovision".

Israel's National Security Council advised citizens planning to travel to Malmo during the contest to reconsider their plans.

The security council raised the travel alert for the city from level 2 (potential threat) to level 3 (moderate threat) without changing alert levels for the rest of Sweden.

Authorities in Malmo have promised heightened security for this year's song contest, where at least half a dozen applications have been filed for demonstration permits to protest against the Israeli presence at the competition.

Israeli media reported that Shin Bet, the country's internal security service, advised its act, Eden Golan, a 20-year-old Russian-Israeli, to stay in her room for the duration of her stay in the city.

Additional reporting AFP

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.


ALSO READ

USD exchange rates today: Rupee and other major currencies

The latest currency exchange rates have been updated, showing fluctuating values across major intern...

PSX KSE-100 index gains 158 points after profit-taking

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) benchmark KSE-100 Index ended 158 points higher on Monday, closing...

Gold prices in Pakistan reach record high with Rs268,000 per tola

Gold prices in Pakistan continued their upward trend, reaching a new record high on Monday. In the l...

Wall Street mixed as markets digest last week’s gains

NEW YORK: Wall Street stocks were mixed early on Monday as markets attempt to build off last week’s ...

Plucked and coloured: Auckland woman fined after doves found suffering

An Auckland woman has been prosecuted and banned from keeping animals for five years after birds in ...

Trump taking breather from campaign when Secret Service saw a rifle

Today was to be a day of relative rest for Donald Trump, a rare breather this deep into a presidenti...