Sweden braces for a Eurovision like no other

Stockholm, Sweden - Malmo is rarely the centre of attention, but this week, the spotlight is on as the Eurovision Song Contest dominates Sweden's third-largest city.

More than 150 million people tune into the annual competition that organisers say is apolitical.

This year's event is likely to be far from it, however.

Israel is set to participate amid protests and calls for a boycott given its war on Gaza that has to date killed more than 34,500 Palestinians.

"Falastinvision", for instance, is billed as an alternative "genocide-free" song contest. Stop the war, Women's song for Gaza and Long live Palestine are among the more than 30 entries that can be voted for online, with a winner to be announced on May 11 - the same day as the Eurovision finale.

In the run-up to Eurovision, more than 1,000 Swedish artists demanded a ban on Israel but their calls were rejected. Israel is participating with Hurricane – the song had previously been titled October Rain, an apparent reference to Hamas's October 7 attacks, which organisers deemed too political.

The group that governs Gaza launched an unprecedented incursion into southern Gaza seven months ago, during which 1,139 people were killed. Hundreds were also taken captive during the assault, which sharply escalated the historic Israel-Palestine conflict.

But as well as the expected pro-Palestine events in Sweden, which activists hope tens of thousands will attend, there are a series of planned Quran burnings, giving the Malmo municipality a complex mix of issues to contend with.

Since demonstrations and counter-demonstrations heighten the security threat, Swedish police will be joined by Danish and Norwegian officers for the week.

On February 25, 2022, just one day after Moscow's troops launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which produces Eurovision, banned Russia.

A Russian entry "would bring the competition into disrepute", the body said.

Protesters have decried what they see as a double standard, given Israel's onslaught on Gaza and heavily criticised military conduct.

Eurovision Song Contest attendees can bring and display flags of the 37 participating countries, including Israel. The only exceptions are rainbow and pride flags. Palestinian flags and pro-Palestinian symbols at the show are banned.

Mohammed Ghannam, a member of the Swedish arm of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement based in Malmo, said there have been protests at least twice a week in the city since the start of the war on Gaza.

David Dahlstrom, a member of Stockholm Academics for Palestine, said support for Palestine is strong in Malmo because the city has long had an anti-Zionist movement.

An example of this was in 2009, two months after Israel waged a three-week war against Gaza. Activists and politicians came out in their thousands to protest against a Davis Cup tennis match between Israel and Sweden scheduled to take place in the city.

It was eventually played in an empty arena. Ilmar Reepalu, the city's mayor at the time, had said his opinion was that the game should not be played at all.

So, when in December 2023, the EBU included Israel in Eurovision, various Swedish organisations formed under a coalition called Stoppa Israel (Stop Israel) to campaign against its inclusion.

"Eurovision has always been for peace, to celebrate unity and humanity," said Per Hussein, who organises pro-Palestine demonstrations in Sweden, over the thunderous din of drumbeats and chants of "Free Palestine" during a weekly rally through Stockholm.

This means Israel, which faces regular accusations of crimes against humanity and genocide, should not be allowed to take part in the event, he said.

Ghannam, the BDS activist, said he feels overwhelmed by the response from Swedish music artists who have called for a boycott.

He said more than 20 percent of the artists who were scheduled to perform at Eurovision have dropped out.

Among them are hip-hop duo Medina, runners-up in this year's Swedish contest for a representative, and Magnus Carlsson, who is a former member of Alcazar, one of Sweden's most successful music groups.

The international pop icon Robyn was among the more than 1,000 Swedish songsters to have signed a petition calling for Israel to be banned.

"I think when the artists saw that the people definitely stood against the genocide, they could freely and proudly take a stance," he said.

The protests have also forced the Malmo municipality to rethink Eurovision week. Events on the so-called Eurovision Street, a buzzy car-free area that usually has a celebratory atmosphere, have been cancelled.

The groups calling for a boycott say they are not looking to simply shut down Eurovision. They plan to flood the city with alternative activities.

The Ship to Gaza, a vessel that is part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, a network of organisations aiming to lift Gaza's blockade, will dock in the city for the week and host several family-friendly events, including live music from rock and reggae acts, face painting and poetry readings.

Ghannam expects that Malmo's proximity to Copenhagen means Danes who wish to show solidarity with Palestine will also support the alternative events.

Thousands of pro-Palestine protesters have filled Copenhagen's streets every week since the start of Israel's war on Gaza.

The Eurovision event could also witness controversial Quran burnings on the sidelines, which have been approved by police across Malmo.

The act is permitted under Sweden's freedom of speech laws and was carried out by a handful of people last summer.

Domestically, the decision to allow the demonstrations has proved unpopular, with a poll suggesting the majority of Swedes back a ban.

The burnings are a drain on security resources, with police rejecting several applications to burn the Quran only for the courts to overrule the decisions, saying they infringed on the right to freedom of speech.

The Swedish government itself has condemned the act as Islamophobic, yet at the same time, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs added that Sweden has a "constitutionally protected right to freedom of assembly, expression and demonstration".

The burnings last year were met with small peaceful counter-demonstrations, with only a handful of people being led away from the sites by police. In the end, Salwan Momika, the Iraqi man behind the majority of Quran burnings, had his temporary residence permit revoked in Sweden.

Meanwhile, the Swedish Security Service has warned that the Eurovision event could be at risk of "violent Islamist extremism", citing related "propaganda" aimed at large events.

The foreboding is in sharp contrast to the mood in Sweden last year.

The Swedish singer Loreen's rousing power ballad Tattoo secured a win for Sweden at the 2023 Eurovision, which was hosted in the United Kingdom. Ukraine was the winner in 2022 but could not hold the contest because of Russia's war.

The victory was a source of great pride in Sweden, which, along with Ireland, is now the nation with the most Eurovision wins.

In July, Malmo beat four other cities, including Stockholm, to secure the right to host the tournament.

Malmo has long been labelled the most dangerous city in the Nordic countries and has struggled in recent years, like many Swedish cities, with a wave of gang-related violence.

This has often been manipulated by far-right politicians who are quick to blame immigration.

More than a third of its 362,000 population was born outside the country, with Iraq and Syria being the two common countries of birth.

The city hoped Eurovision would be transformative. Its moment on the world stage has arrived.