Weekend Showdown in Basel: Pro-Palestinian Protesters Clash with Police at Eurovision
Skirmish between law enforcement and demonstrators advocating for Palestine's cause
In an intense turn of events, skirmishes unfolded on a Saturday night amongst pro-Palestinian activists and law enforcement in Basel, just prior to the Israeli singer's performance in the Eurovision finals. According to the Associated Press (AFP), these confrontations were spurred by Israel's involvement in the song competition during a turbulent period in Gaza.
As reported by the Swiss news agency ATS Keystone, the protesters rejected the police-recommended route, which indicated they could not traverse the city center. In response, law enforcement deployed pepper spray but refrained from using water cannons, as reported by AFP.
A sea of Palestinian flags waved among the protesters, who situated themselves behind a large banner bearing the statement, "United for Palestine". The demonstrators creatively incorporated a play on words with Eurovision, with a slogan reading, "Liberate your vision", adorned with a heart in the place of the letter "v". They burnt Israeli and American flags, and disrupted the peace with green smoke bombs.
The disapproval of Israel's presence in the Eurovision competition echoed throughout the week, with scattered protests. However, this week in Basel saw fewer mobilizations than anticipated, given the escalating war in Gaza led by Israel. This contrasts starkly with the massive protests during the previous edition in 2024 in Malmö, Sweden.
On a Wednesday midweek, around 200 protesters organized a silent march through the host city of the Eurovision event. A swell of public criticism and discontent accompanied the performance of Israeli singer and 7-October survivor, Yuval Raphael, during the grand finale, as reported by an AFP photographer. Earlier in the week, protests during a general rehearsal on Thursday were disrupted by several individuals, who displayed "oversized flags and whistles", as stated in a declaration by the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SSR).
The two incidents targeting the Israeli singer since the commencement of Eurovision were not isolated events. During the opening parade on May 11, a spectator made a menacing throat-slitting gesture against the artist. The 24-year-old performer delivered her song, "New Day Will Rise", expressing a message of hope and solidarity despite surviving the massacre at 7 October perpetrated by Hamas. In Geneva, more than 2,500 individuals joined a march on Saturday to denounce the alleged Israeli government’s genocidal actions, as reported by the Swiss news agency Keystone-ATS.
This tumultuous backdrop surrounding the Eurovision finals underscores the complicated relationship between politics and cultural events, as international tensions can manifest themselves in diverse expressions of public dissent.
- The protests against Israel's participation in the Eurovision competition, sparked by the ongoing conflict in Gaza, extended beyond just disrupted performances, as protesters also incorporated artistic elements, such as the slogan "Liberate your vision."
- Beyond the skirmishes during the Eurovision finals, there were also incidents of political activism, like the massive march in Geneva, demonstrating that war-and-conflicts, politics, general-news, and the arts can intertwine in various ways, creating a complex narrative.
