Greta Thunberg has joined pro-Palestine protests in Malmo against Israel competing in the Eurovision Song Contest, with the country’s entry Eden Golan set to perform
Greta Thunberg has joined pro-Palestine demonstrations in Malmo against Israel’s entry into the Eurovision Song Contest.
The 21-year-old climate activist showed her support during the ‘Stop Israel ‘ protest which took place in the heart of the city on Thursday before Israeli singer Eden Golan took to the stage. Spotted in the middle of the crowd, Greta was clad in a keffiyeh, a garment widely recognised as a symbol of support for Palestine.
Some protesters were accompanied by dogs, youngsters and bicycles and carried placards showing images of injured Gaza civilians amidst the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel.
During rehearsals for her song Hurricane, Eden Golan attracted jeers and reportedly shouts of “free Palestine” on Wednesday evening. During Eden Golan’s rehearsals of her song Hurricane, which was reworked from an early track October Rain, thought to be a reference to the attack by Hamas, she was booed and there were reportedly shouts of “free Palestine” on Wednesday.
At the demonstrations in Malmo, Rory Flynn, 27, from Kildare and a member of the Eurovision Irish fan club, expressed his concerns to PA news agency about Israel’s participation overshadowing the event. He stated: “We feel that it’s important to make our voices heard in the competition in the arena. Others are doing a full boycott and full respect to people who are doing a full boycott but we think it’s important that our voices are heard in the arena and around Malmo.”
Flynn also revealed that his group booed during Israeli contestant Golan’s dress rehearsals, criticising the entry by saying: “This song is a propaganda song. OK, it was originally called October Rain and now it’s called Hurricane, you can see there, it’s the same melody; the lyrics have been changed at the request of the EBU (European Broadcast Union), but it is the same song.”
He further added, condemning the message behind the song: “And it is about justifying Israel’s genocide in Gaza, and I think that says it all really, you know, I think it’s quite appropriate to kind of boo that propaganda.”
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