2024-05-10 07:16:03
In Sweden, crowds gathered to protest against Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest, just hours before Eden Golan took to the stage in the second semi-final.
Protesters moved through the streets, heading to a park about an hour’s walk from the town square. Malmö police estimated the number of anti-Israel protesters at 10-12 thousand people, while organizers said 30 thousand. Swedish activist Greta Thunberg also attended the rally, saying young people were once again “teaching the world how to react.”
Late in the evening, a small group of demonstrators headed to the homes of the song contest participants. However, their attempt to enter the Eurovillage was stopped by the police, who dispersed the remaining protesters.
It was the first of two major anti-Israel rallies organized by Stop Israel!, a coalition of about 60 far-left political groups, including the Left Party, which has a presence in the Swedish parliament, as well as Fridays for Future and the activist-led Swedish Climate Movement Greta Thunberg.
On the website “Stop, Israel!” anti-Israeli slogans were published, authorized by the organizers of the rally, including “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” as well as calls for revolution, intifada and the rights of Palestinian Arabs to freedom, including the expulsion of Jews from the Holy Land. However, unauthorized slogans were also heard at the march, including “Khaybar, Khaybar, ya yahud!”, a saying popularized during the first intifada and referencing the Muslim conquest of Jewish land.
Earlier we wrote that Eden Golan reached the Eurovision final.
Kursor also reported that Greta Thunberg was arrested in The Hague during a climate demonstration.