Thousands Protest in Vienna as Spain, Ireland Boycott Eurovision Over Israel’s Inclusion

Thousands protested outside the Eurovision Song Contest final in Vienna as five countries boycotted the event over Israel’s inclusion, with Al Jazeera reporting that 2,000 demonstrators gathered earlier on Saturday.

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the decision puts Spain on “the right side of history,” while Al Jazeera said protesters accused Eurovision of normalizing Israel’s actions in Gaza.

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The protests coincided with an open letter in which more than 1,000 artists urged fans to boycott Eurovision due to Israel’s participation, and Al Jazeera named Macklemore and Paloma Faith among the signatories.

Amnesty International’s Secretary-General Agnes Callamard denounced the EBU for allowing Israel to participate, saying “The failure of the European Broadcasting Union to suspend Israel from Eurovision, as it did with Russia, is an act of cowardice and an illustration of blatant double standards when it comes to Israel.”

In Vienna, the crowd marched through the Austrian capital chanting “boycott Israel, boycott ESC [Eurovision Song Contest]” and “no stage for genocide,” finishing near the Weiner Stadthalle stadium where the final was set to take place.

POLITICO reported that Wilhelm Langthaler of Palestine Solidarity Austria told the outlet, “The idea is there should be no stage for genocide,” and he said that if Israel is allowed to participate it “symbolically stands” for the “disaster and catastrophe” in Gaza being supported by other countries.

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POLITICO also quoted Ingrid Thurnher, director general of Austria’s public broadcaster ORF, saying “that’s the nature of democracy,” while adding that with the final that night “the focus should be on the stage.”

The Times of Israel reported that Noam Bettan was set to take the stage at the partly boycotted Eurovision final, and it said he told cameras after rehearsal that it was “the loudest I have ever heard.”

The boycott reduced the number of contest entries to 35, the smallest since 2003, and the Jerusalem Post said it would almost certainly reduce the global television viewership of an event estimated last year at 166 million people.

The Jerusalem Post reported that police were still bracing for protests on Saturday and anticipated possible “blockades and disruption attempts,” while also describing a protest during Tuesday’s semi-final when one protester chanted “Stop, stop the genocide” and “Free, free Palestine.”

The EBU and Austrian broadcaster ORF said in a joint statement that the protester and three others “were removed from the arena for disruptive behavior,” and the Jerusalem Post added that the EBU issued a formal warning to Israeli public broadcaster KAN over videos featuring Bettan calling on viewers to vote for him up to 10 times.

CNN reported that only 35 countries traveled to Vienna for the grand final, and it quoted Frank Dermody, president of the Irish Eurovision Fanclub, saying “We can see that there are tickets still available for the final on Saturday, which is kind of unheard of.”