Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered in the Swedish city of Malmo today to voice their opposition to Israel’s participation in the Eurovision song contest. The protest took place ahead of the competition’s second semi-final, where Israel’s entrant Eden Golan will be performing.

A smaller demonstration in support of Israel also occurred in the city.

Greta Thunberg, the prominent climate activist, joined the pro-Palestinian protest, which was estimated to have as many as 12,000 participants by Swedish police. Thunberg emphasized the importance of taking action and speaking out against Israel’s military operation in Gaza, stating, “If we are tens of thousands of people flooding the streets of Malmo when Eurovision is taking place, saying we will not accept this to continue, then it’s a very strong signal – and it does make a difference.”

Matilda Varatta, another protester at the demonstration, expressed the desire to see Israel disqualified from the Eurovision competition, drawing a comparison to Russia’s disqualification in 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine. Varatta argued, “It’s not true that Eurovision is not political, it has always been political, and it will always be.”

Meanwhile, Eden Golan, the Israeli contestant, expressed her pride in representing her country and her determination to focus on her music and the support she has received. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also voiced his support for Golan, stating that she has “already won” by facing and confronting what he described as “a horrible wave of antisemitism” in Sweden.

At a separate pro-Israel demonstration, attendees showed their support for Eden Golan by singing her song, “Hurricane.” Demonstrator Yael Sages Wahlström, expressing her motivation to support, shared, “I’m not that interested in Eurovision, but since there has been such a huge storm of hate against Israel, I wanted to support.”

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation has asked the European Broadcasting Union to prevent any incidents similar to Wednesday’s booing of the Israeli contestant. Swedish authorities have heightened security measures in preparation for any potential unrest in relation to the event.

It’s essential to note that Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, a response to a cross-border attack by Hamas, has resulted in a significant loss of life. The latest statistics from the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry revealed a death toll of over 34,900 people since the conflict began.