The organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest have stated that they reserve the right to remove any Palestinian flags and pro-Palestinian symbols at the show next week in Sweden. This announcement comes amid heightened tensions surrounding Israel’s participation in the annual music competition due to its military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, which has been ongoing for seven months. Pro-Palestinian groups are planning to stage protests in Malmo to raise awareness of their cause.
Michelle Roverelli, the head of communications for the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which runs the show each year, explained that ticket buyers are only allowed to bring and display flags that represent countries participating in the event, as well as the rainbow-colored flag. The EBU reserves the right to remove any other flags or symbols, clothing, items, and banners that are being used for the likely purpose of instrumentalizing the TV show. This decision was made in response to reports that Palestinian flags and political banners had been banned at the event.
The Eurovision Song Contest, a glitzy gala that draws hundreds of millions of viewers each year, is taking place from May 7-11 in Malmo, Sweden. The event is being hosted in Malmo following Sweden’s victory last year by Loreen for their performance of “Tattoo”. Winners of the contest earn the right for their country to host the following year’s event, and Sweden is hosting for a record-equalling 7th time. Swedish police have warned that security will be tight due to a threat of terrorism in the country.
Pro-Palestinian activists who want Israel, a former winner of the Eurovision Song Contest, to be excluded from the competition have announced large rallies in downtown Malmo, several miles away from the contest venue at the Malmo Arena. Last month, Swedish police received an application for a demonstration in Malmo to burn a copy of the Quran before the contest. Sweden raised its terror threat level last year following a series of Quran burnings that led to protests in the Muslim world.
In recent weeks, protests worldwide in response to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas have intensified, with large demonstrations taking place on U.S. university campuses and beyond. The Eurovision Song Contest has become a focal point for expressing support for the Palestinian cause, leading to tensions surrounding the participation of Israel in the event. The decision by the organizers to ban Palestinian flags and political banners reflects their attempts to prevent the instrumentalization of the show for political purposes.
