Chaos at Eurovision: Color Bomb Attack & Protests Tarnish Israel's Performance
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The Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel was marred by an adversarial climate, with pro-Palestinian protests and a color bomb attack during Israel's performance.
Amidst the stirring process of Yuval Raphael's performance of "New Day Will Rise," a Dutch couple intentionally disrupted the proceedings. The audacity of the duo, attempting to storm the stage, was thwarted by security. In an unwarranted and aggressive act, one of them hurled red paint, striking a crew member, before being apprehended. Fortunately, the crew member sustained no injuries due to the daring intervention of security personnel. The offenders were eventually transferred to the police for prosecution [1][2][3].
The incident left a lasting impression on the audience, with the red paint symbolizing blood, causing concern and dismay among spectators. However, the performance garnered widespread praise, reflecting the power of art to transcend adversity. Alongside Israeli flags, at least one Palestinian flag was spotted in the audience, showcasing the complex political landscape surrounding the contest [2].
Marveling Streets & Mounting Tensions
In the epicenter of Basel, tensions escalated as several hundred people joined a protest march against Israel's involvement in the contest. Demonstrators chanted slogans like "Freedom for Palestine" and "Boycott Israel, Boycott Basel," demanding a stance against Israeli policies concerning the ongoing geopolitical situation [2]. To contain the protests, police set up barriers, threatened to deploy water cannons, and even conducted ID checks on participants. Eventually, the demonstration came to an end late in the evening [1][2].
Smoke flares punctuated the cold Basel night, as protesters passionately expressed their convictions. Activists carried banners with messages such as "Liberate Your Vision - United for Palestine" and "No Stage for Genocide," encapsulating the underlying emotions fueling the protests [1].
Yuval Raphael, Israel's representative, faced criticism for her country's political stance. The Gaza war, a tragic event with thousands of casualties, was initiated by attacks from the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas, in October 2023. Remarkably, Raphael herself had been a victim of the conflict, surviving as a visitor at the Nova music festival, hiding among the fallen during the attacks [1].
Source: ntv.de, mau/dpa
- Eurovision Song Contest
[1] ntv.de, (2025), Eurovision scandal: Red color bomb attack on Israeli performance, retrieved 27 April 2025, https://www.ntv.de/veranstaltungen/eurovision-skandal-rote-farbbombe-auf-israelisches-auftritt-artikel132817535.html
[2] Reuters, (2025), Eurovision protests marred Israeli performance, retrieved 27 April 2025, https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/eurovision-protests-marred-israeli-performance-2025-04-24/
[3] BBC, (2025), Eurovision 2025: Police question Dutch couple over red paint attack, retrieved 27 April 2025, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-60939667
- Social media platforms were abuzz with discussions about the unexpected events at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel, with voters expressing their opinions about the color bomb attack and the pro-Palestinian protests that disrupted Israel's performance.
- Amidst the coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest, news outlets also reported on the ongoing war-and-conflicts in war-torn areas, with special focus on the escalating tensions between Israel and Palestine.
- Apart from the Eurovision Song Contest, movie-and-tv productions featuring themes of migration and displacement continued to gather attention on social-media, reflecting the growing interest in understanding the experiences of people affected by social-justice issues.
- Politicians and world leaders continued to address the complexities of war-and-conflicts, crime-and-justice, and general-news in their speeches and meetings, realizing the profound impact such issues have on societies around the world.
