Author: Jacob Gronholt Pedersen
MALMO, Sweden (Reuters) – Dutch contestant Jost Klein was kicked out of Saturday’s Eurovision Song Contest final over complaints from members of the production team, organizers said, adding to a headache for host Sweden as the country also Faced with anti-Israel protests.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said on Friday it was investigating an incident involving 26-year-old Klein, whose quirky song “Europapa” made him one of the most popular.
The 68th edition of the competition is usually a festival filled with catchy songs and tongue-in-cheek kitsch, but this time the competition was held in the host city of Malmo amid protests over Israel’s participation in the competition due to the Gaza war.
Swedish police said earlier on Saturday that a man was being questioned for threatening a Eurovision employee inside the Malmö Arena after Thursday’s second semi-final.
The person was not in custody, police said, without naming him, adding that the matter had been referred to prosecutors.
“While the legal process is well underway, it would not be appropriate for him (Jost) to continue playing,” the EBU said in a statement.
Representatives for Klein did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS said in an emailed statement that it was “shocked” by the EBU’s decision and considered it “disproportionate”.
Bookmakers have placed Croatia’s Baby Lasagna (real name Marko Purišić, 28) as the front-runner to win the competition, with the song “Rim Tim Tagi Dim” about a runaway who longs to be a “city boy” with better opportunities story of young people.
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Israeli solo artist Eden Golan, 20, and her song “Hurricane” also qualified for Saturday’s final, with betting odds on Friday showing she was among the leading contenders.
The list of favorites also includes 24-year-old Swiss rapper and singer Nemo, who performed “The Code,” a drum-and-bass, opera, rap and rock song about Nemo’s identity as non-binary The author’s journey of self-discovery.
Other top countries include France, the Netherlands, Italy, Ukraine and Ireland, while Spotify (NYSE: ) streaming data also points to opportunities for host country Sweden.
involved in political conflicts
This year’s game was billed as a feel-good celebration of Europe’s diversity but has been thrust into the political spotlight as protesters online and on the streets of Malmö called for Israel to be excluded from the competition.
Eurovision organizers rejected such calls but asked Israel to tweak the lyrics of its original lyrics to remove what they said were references to the Oct. 7 attacks.
There were some boos from the crowd before, during and after Golan performed in the semifinals on Thursday, but there was also applause and Israeli flags waving, according to a Reuters reporter inside the auditorium.
In central Malmö, more than 10,000 pro-Palestinian activists, including climate activist Greta Thunberg, held a non-violent protest ahead of the semi-finals, abandoning Palestinian flags and chanting “Boycott Israel”.
A small group of pro-Israel supporters, including members of Malmö’s Jewish community, also held peaceful demonstrations in the city to defend the Golan Heights and their right to compete.
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More demonstrations are planned for Saturday, again expected to draw thousands of protesters. The city will also host an alternative music festival, billing itself as a “Genocide-Free Song Contest.”
The EBU banned Russia from Eurovision 2022 after protesters complained of double standards.
“Of course, people want to express their opinions and stuff like that. But for us, you know, it’s just a dream and an honor to be part of the Eurovision Song Contest,” said Marcus and Martinus, who represented Sweden. Marcus Gunnarsen of the duo, told Reuters.
“So we didn’t pay too much attention to that, we just knew that the purpose of the Eurovision Song Contest was to unite people, have a party and have a good time together.”
