Greta Thunberg, a globally recognised climate campaigner, was spotted amongst the masses in a demonstration in Malmo voicing support for Palestine and objecting to Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. The 21 years old activist was seen in the Stop Israel rally which began from Stortorget and ended at Molleplatsen in the heart of the Swedish city. The protest was held ahead of Eden Golan’s performance, an Israeli singer lined up for the contest’s second semi-final on the subsequent Thursday.
Sporting a keffiyeh, a scarf often donned to demonstrate solidarity with Palestine, Thunberg was noticed in the core of the crowd. Thunberg, a Stockholm native, consciously refrained from making any comments and only told a PA news agency that she was “fine” when surrounded by fellow young activists.
The police authorities in Sweden have determined that approximately 10,000 to 12,000 individuals were present at the march. During the protest, colours of the Palestinian flag were seen in smoke canisters being ignited, participants – some with dogs, children and bikes – held placards illustrating images of wounded civilians from Gaza due to the conflict between Hamas and Israel.
At a certain instance, the police instructed the pro-Palestinian group to recede, but after hearing cries of “free Palestine”, they rejoined the rest. A banner bearing “genocide”, a term heatedly rejected by Israel regarding accusations in relation to the conflict with Hamas, was also on display and later moved to Malmo Arena where protest participants dispensed leaflets levying similar claims.
While Eden Golan was practising her song “Hurricane” in the arena, a number among the onlookers voiced discontent, heckling her and raising cries of “free Palestine”. Rory Flynn, a member of the Eurovision Irish fan club, voiced his discontent at the participation of Israel, stating to the PA that the country’s entry had cast a shadow over the competition.
The original speaker expressed the sentiment that it’s crucial for their opinions to be shared in the competitive space and around Malmo despite others choosing to fully boycott, a decision they absolutely respect. They made it clear that a certain song, originally dubbed ‘October Rain’ and now known as ‘Hurricane’, attracted their booing in the practice sessions, as they deemed it a propaganda piece. They continued, alleging that the underlying purpose of the song was to validate Israel’s actions in Gaza, brought out by mere melody adjustments and lyrical tweaks as per the EBU (European Broadcast Union)’s demand.
Supporting this sentiment, 71-year-old Dublin citizen Kieran O’Casey admitted his lack of interest in Eurovision. Nonetheless, he was in Malmo to protest against the Gaza bombings. Not quite extreme in his beliefs, he didn’t strictly support a total boycott by his home country, Ireland, but he strongly felt that Israel shouldn’t have been allowed to compete given their activities.
Meanwhile, some protesters, including one named Adam from Malmo, moved through the city to Molleplatsen Park, covering approximately a mile. Adam was explicit that the dissent was targeted more towards Israeli politics, not the Israeli people per se. He also hinted protests against Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu occurring within Israel itself. A minor group of pro-Israeli campaigners conducted rallies in Malmo as a sign of solidarity for Golan.