This week, the Eurovision Song Contest will take place in the Swedish city of Malmö.

Ahead of the competition, Swedish authorities have tightened security in the city with assistance from Norwegian and Danish police.

The police are concerned about the potential for heightened civil unrest, as Israel’s participation in this edition has already sparked protest, controversy and debate.

Israel’s bombing of Gaza has killed over 35,000 Palestinians since October.

Many organizations are boycotting Eurovision this year, while figures from the international music industry have asked several of the national entrants not to sing.

Sweden fears protests
The Swedish authorities are expecting an uptick in protests, riots and other actions.

To monitor the streets of Malmö, drones will carry out camera surveillance over the city from 4 until 13 May.

Only last week, there was a Koran burning in Malmö, which lead to big protests in the city. There are also many posters linking Eurovision to genocide, along with Palestinian flags. 

While no specific danger has been articulated, police spokesperson Jimmy Modin says nothing can be ruled out.

The police have already been working on their operation to keep the peace during Eurovision for six months, Modin tells Belgian outlet VRT NWS.

He emphasises that the police will be present on the street during the singing competition, and that pro-Palestinian protests have already been announced.

Political debate
Before the opening ceremony of Eurovision, a political debate took place on the Swedish TV-channel SVT, where several different opinions clashed, according to Berlingske.

Nooshi Dadgostar, party leader of the Swedish Vänsterpartiet, feels that Israel shouldn’t participate in the Eurovision.

“It should be a folk festival. Now its only safety and fear,” she said.

Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson cautioned that people “should be aware that there are forces that want it to become chaotic and turbulent.”

He added that he considers the police well-equipped.

Liberal party leader Johan Pehrson told TT that he understands the peaceful demonstrations, but doesn’t agree with the violence. 

Party leader of the Swedish democrats, Jimmy Åkesson, doesn’t want to say that hosting the contest in Malmö was a mistake, but highlighted the risk in a TV interview.

“The situation is in general serious in Malmö, with widespread antisemitism and Islamism,” he said.

Conflict
The Israeli entry, Eden Golan, didn’t walk on the turquoise carpet at the opening ceremony for safety reasons.

Her song Hurricane had to be changed from the Eurovision Board since it contained too many political references. As did the title October Rain which was interpreted as sailing too close to referencing Hamas’ attack on Israel in October 2023.

Palestinian flags are not allowed inside the Malmö Arena, where the competition takes place, since the board don’t approve flags from non-participating countries.

Danish entry Saba already told DR that she gets a lot of criticism about competing in Eurovision. Yet, she feels her absence wouldn’t make a difference to the conflict, and so decided to participate.

“At this moment I think it’s hard to concentrate on the Eurovision, since the debate took much of it. To be honest, I don’t like it to take off like this,” she said.

She added that she doesn’t regret her decision to take part.

Saba still stands behind her statement on the matter from when she won the Danish Grand Prix final and qualified for Eurovision: it would be appropriate if Israel would withdraw from the competition, out of respect for the community. But she doesn’t want to take a position in the conflict itself, she told DR.

Danish resistance 
At the opening ceremony this Sunday, Saba wore a white blazer with a dove of peace motif on the back, and told Ritzau that she had picked it with care.

In February, she also appeared in white during the Danish Melodi Grand Prix.

“It’s unconscious consciousness. It became logical given the circumstances,” Saba explains.

In February, over 400 Danish musicians signed an open letter to DR, calling for Israel to be excluded from the music festival, and for DR to take an active position against EBU, European Broadcasting Union, who organizes the event.

The initiative was based on a similar action in Norway and Sweden, where over 1,000 artists signed an open letter.