Authorities in Malmö forcibly remove Greta Thunberg from the scene.
Outside the Malmö Arena in Sweden, the artists were readying themselves for the ESC performance, but the situation was far from calm. Amidst the noise, activist Greta Thunberg was taken away by the police in what seemed like a tense atmosphere. As the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) final prepared to kick off, demonstrators were protesting loudly against the event, making it more difficult for spectators to enter the venue. Their cries echoed "Shame on you."
Reporters present at the scene reported scuffles between protesters and police, who tried to prevent protesters from reaching the security area in front of the Malmö Arena. The situation was far from peaceful, with an estimated hundreds of demonstrators present. An AFP reporter described the atmosphere as "agitated."
Meanwhile, a large crowd gathered for a protest in Malmö's city center, venting their frustrations over Israel's involvement in the competition. The protesters called for the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to exclude Israel from the event due to the ongoing tensions in the Gaza Strip. They labelled the situation a "genocide" and urged a boycott against the region.
The artists and the heated protests were juxtaposed as the ESC was the most influential music competition in the world, happening for its 68th time. Favorite contestant Baby Lasagna from Croatia was squaring off against Israel's Eden Golan, who was also seen as a strong contender.
Watch this space for more updates on the ongoing protests and the Eurovision Song Contest.
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Despite the chaos caused by the protests, the Swedish entertainment industry continued to push forward with the Eurovision Song Contest. The police had to intervene multiple times to maintain order, as demonstrations against Israel's participation in the competition intensified. Even Greta Thunberg, the renowned Swedish climate activist, became involved in the protests, leading to her removal by the police.
Source: www.ntv.de
