Hundreds of pro-Palestine demonstrators protested in Malmo, Sweden on Thursday towards Israel’s competing on this yr’s Eurovision Music Contest.
Protesters waving inexperienced, white, black and purple Palestinian flags packed the historic Stortorget sq. close to Malmo’s Sixteenth-century city corridor before a deliberate march by means of the town for a rally in a park a number of miles from the Eurovision venue.
Police estimated that between 10,000 and 12,000 individuals took half. Amongst these within the crowd was Swedish local weather activist Greta Thunberg.
The march came about concurrently Israel’s entrant – 20-year-old Eden Golan – was participating within the closing costume rehearsal for the second Eurovision semi-finals, within the Malmo area.
Throughout the march – which included households with younger youngsters, and folks with canines and bicycles – smoke canisters within the colors of the Palestinian flag have been set off, with some protesters carrying indicators displaying pictures of Gaza civilians who’ve been injured amid the Hamas-Israel battle.
There was additionally a banner carried out within the model of Eurovision with the phrase “genocide” on it – an accusation vigorously denied by Israel amid the war with Hamas.
Safety in Malmo is excessive, and further police have been drafted in from neighbouring Denmark and Norway.
