Dozens of protesters gathered outside the Serbian state RTS broadcaster on Tuesday to demand that the Balkan country pull out of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest because of Israel's participation. The main competition, featuring 35 competing countries, is scheduled to be held from May 12 to May 16 in Vienna. Serbia will be represented by Lavina, a six-member metal band.
Protest Details
The demonstrators, assembled in central Belgrade, waved Palestinian flags and held banners accusing Israel of committing atrocities during the war in Gaza. They called on RTS not to broadcast the contest and urged Serbians to refrain from watching it.
“A Eurovision without Israel would mean defending the ideals that this event proclaims,” a statement by the protest organizers read. There was no immediate reaction from the state RTS TV. Serbia maintains close ties with Israel.
Eurovision and Politics
The Eurovision Song Contest strives to place pop music above politics but has repeatedly been entangled in global events. Russia was expelled in 2022 following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The competition's organizers decided in December to allow Israel to participate, which prompted the withdrawal of Slovenia, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Spain. Slovenia's public broadcaster RTV Slovenia has announced it will air Palestinian programming during the Eurovision contest.
