Nemo, the representative of Switzerland, won the Eurovision Song Contest this Saturday, in the midst of controversies that have marked this 68th edition of the competition, held in the Swedish city of Malmo.
i broke the code oh oh oh*breaks the trophy*#Eurovision2024
pic.twitter.com/I4qjclZS8n
— Vito (@coletivitinho) May 11, 2024
After the semi-finals held on Tuesday and Thursday, a total of 26 countries qualified to the final, although 25 finally competed, after the disqualification of the singer from the Netherlands.
With their song ‘The Code’, Switzerland He got 591 points. Upon receiving the iconic crystal microphone that crowns him the winner, the Swiss representative said he hoped that the contest “lives up to its promises and continues to defend the peace and dignity of all people in the world.”
Croatia finished in second place with 547 points, followed by Ukraine, with 453. For its part, Israel took fifth place, obtaining 323 points from the public and 52 from the jury.
Expulsion from the Netherlands
Dutch participant Joost Klein was kicked out of the event’s final after it was announced that the artist was being investigated by Swedish Police due to a complaint filed against him by a member of the event’s production team due to an incident that occurred after the singer’s performance in Thursday’s semifinal.
Meanwhile, the sweater worn by the Ukrainian contestant Jerry Heil, on which the inscription Banderaciaga could be read, caused outrage among the Polish public at the beginning of the week, as it made reference to Stepan Bandera, leader of the Ukrainian Nationalist Organization who collaborated with the Nazis during World War II.
Israel’s participation
The inclusion of Eden Golan, Israel’s representative in this year’s edition, has been surrounded by controversy. Despite pressure from the public and some rivals, who urged boycott Israel Due to his military operation in the Gaza Strip, Golan managed to qualify for the final of the contest, where he performed in fifth position, eliciting mixed reactions from the public.
A few hours before its presentation, the streets of Malmo were the scene of protests in support of Palestine and against Israel’s participation in the festival. Protesters gathered outside the stadium that hosted the final to express their disapproval.
Local authorities reportedly detained several of the protesters, including the Swedish activist Greta Thunbergwho also participated in Thursday’s massive demonstration, in which more than 10,000 people They demanded the exclusion of Israel from the contest.
Support for Palestine
The representative of Portugal, Iolanda, in a clear show of support for Palestine, decided to change her dress at the last minute and appeared at the flag parade with a suit from the Palestinian brand Trashy Clothing, inspired in the work of Palestinian satirical cartoonist Naji Al Ali, murdered in 1987. At the end of her performance, Iolanda exclaimed: “Peace will prevail!”.
Meanwhile, the Irish participant, Bambie Thug, who has openly expressed her position against Israel’s participation in the event, as well as her strong support for the Palestinian causedemanded Israel’s expulsion from the festival due to comments made against him by Israeli television before his semi-final performance last Tuesday.
After the semi-final, Bambie Thug and Swedish opening act Eric Saade were reprimanded by the event organizers for wear Palestinian symbols in your clothing and makeup. The contestant claimed that they ordered her to change her makeup and for her to remove all references to her in favor of Palestine that she was wearing. Before the final, Golan was moved to another room in the venue to separate her from Bambie Thug.
An hour before the grand final of the contest began, Kaarija, the Finnish singer who came second in last year’s version of Eurovision, and who was supposed to be in charge of announcing the points of his country’s jury tonight, resigned.
Previously, Norwegian singer Alessandra Mele, who had been chosen to announce the distribution of points for her country, also decided not to participate, in protest at the inclusion of Israel. “Let love lead you to the truth, it is right before your eyes. “Free Palestine”he expressed.
Source: RT
