AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The Swedish police have clashed with the pro-Palestinian demonstrators protesting the Israeli regime’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest in southern Sweden.
An estimated crowd of 5,000 people marched throughout the city towards the Malmo Arena in the city of Malmo on Saturday, some waving Palestinian flags and chanting “free Palestine.”
The clashes erupted after the protesters converged outside the arena, which was hosting this year’s finals between Switzerland and Israel’s contestants
The crowd demanded disqualification of the Israeli competitor.
The law enforcement was seen dragging away the protesters, who had formed a sit-in close to the arena.
Some demonstrators were seen rubbing their eyes after being pepper-sprayed.
The sit-in was joined at one point by the teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg.
This year’s contest took place amid the Israeli regime’s ongoing genocidal war against the Gaza Strip.
At least 34,971 Palestinians have died in the Israeli genocide that began following al-Aqsa Storm, a retaliatory operation by Gaza’s resistance movements. Around 78,641 others have also been injured in the brutal military onslaught, while at least 7,000 people are unaccounted for.
The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas recently agreed to a truce proposal enabling cessation of the Israeli aggression and release of those, who were taken captive during al-Aqsa Storm. The Israeli regime, however, rejected the proposal.
Israel participated in the contest with the song “Hurricane,” previously titled “October Rain,” in apparent reference to the Palestinian operation, which organizers deemed to be too political.
In the run-up to Eurovision, more than 1,000 Swedish artists demanded a ban on Israel, but their calls were rejected.
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