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Credits: HANNIBAL HANSCHKE/EPA |
The Eurovision Song Contest grand final is taking place this Saturday, but the event in Vienna has been overshadowed by protests over Israel’s participation in the contest.
Under the banner “No Stage For Genocide”, hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered at Venediger Au park on the outskirts of the Austrian capital to oppose Israel’s inclusion in Eurovision, amid its ongoing military actions in Gaza. The situation has led several countries, including Ireland, Iceland, Netherlands, Spain and Slovenia, to boycott the contest.
Protester Viktoria Eibensteiner, who lives in Vienna, told the Press Association that the demonstration was a way of taking a political stand: “I think it’s very important to show a symbol of Austria being against war crimes, about not offering a stage for Israeli crimes in Palestine, in Lebanon, wherever.”
She added: “We want to take a stance against genocide and war crimes, and that’s why we’re here today. It is a celebration that serves to counteract the Eurovision Song Contest and the normalisation of war crimes.”
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Marco Wanjura, from the Palestine Solidarity Austria organising the event, said the contest contradicts its stated values: “The Eurovision Song Contest claims to stand for solidarity, love and diversity, but in reality it is hosting Israel, a country which is right now committing a genocide in Gaza. That’s why we wanted to show that the majority in Austria is actually against that.”
Smaller demonstrations have also taken place throughout the week, though they have been kept away from the Wiener Stadthalle, where Eurovision is being held, amid a heavy police and security presence.
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Irish-born Vienna resident Fiona Salter, who also attended the protest, said: “It is important to stand up and say we cannot just celebrate the Eurovision Song Contest without mentioning what’s going on in the world. The ongoing displacement and apartheid in the occupied territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem… we can’t be silent.”
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Tensions around the contest have also intensified during live broadcasts. During Israel’s performance in Tuesday’s first semi-final, chants of “stop the genocide” were reportedly heard during the television transmission. Four individuals were subsequently removed from the arena after the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) classified their behaviour as “disruptive”, although there were no reports of any violent behaviour or physical aggression from any of the individuals involved in the protest.
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