Thousands protest at Eurovision final as five countries boycott over Israel
Summary
Thousands of people protested outside the Eurovision Song Contest final in Vienna because Israel was allowed to compete. Five countries—Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, and Slovenia—boycotted the event to show their disagreement with Israel’s actions in Gaza. Critics said it was unfair that Israel was allowed while Russia was banned over the Ukraine war.Key Facts
- The Eurovision Song Contest final took place in Vienna with 166 million viewers last year.
- Five countries boycotted Eurovision this year due to Israel’s involvement: Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, and Slovenia.
- Some national broadcasters from these countries refused to show the contest on TV.
- Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez supported the boycott, saying Spain was on “the right side of history.”
- Amnesty International criticized the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for allowing Israel to compete while banning Russia.
- Around 2,000 protesters gathered in Vienna to oppose Israel’s participation at Eurovision.
- Russia has been banned from many cultural and sports competitions due to the Ukraine invasion.
- Eurovision’s voting combines professional jury scores and public votes; new rules were made after concerns about past voting unfairness.
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