ALBAWABA - Hundreds of protestors took to the streets near the Swedish Foreign Ministry demanding the boycott of Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest to be held in Malmo, Sweden.
In response to Israel's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest, two large rallies will be organized in Malmo on May 11. The event will also include thousands of people supporting Palestine from various European locations.
"Last year, Russia was excluded from the organization due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, but this year, the inclusion of genocidal Israel is hypocritical," a statement by the demonstrators noted.
According to Swedish state broadcaster SVT, Nils Norling, a spokesman for the Malmo Police Department, projected that 100,000 demonstrators would gather in the city.
Norling also stated that substantial security measures will be implemented to prevent incidents during the rallies and that police teams from Norway and Denmark will travel to Malmo to provide assistance.
Israel's National Security Council has issued a warning advising against traveling to Malmo, claiming "a well-founded concern that terrorist elements will exploit the protests and the anti-Israel mood to carry out attacks against Israelis attending Eurovision".
What is Eurovision
The European Broadcasting Union organizes the longest-running international televised music competition. The inaugural contest was conducted in 1956, and with the exception of 2020, which was cancelled because to the COVID-19 epidemic, it has been contested year since then.
The contest, which is traditionally conducted in the country that won the previous year's event, allows the host country and city to promote themselves as tourist destinations.
Each year, thousands of spectators attend, as do journalists who cover all parts of the competition, including venue rehearsals, press conferences with participating performers, and other associated events and performances in the host city.
