By Leila Nezirevic
LONDON (AA) - An alternative Palestinian song contest called, FalastinVision, was held Saturday in Sweden to protest Israel's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.
Ahead of the FalastinVision song contest in which 14 artists performed on stage, thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators earlier Saturday marched in the Swedish city of Malmo in protest of Israel’s participation.
FalastinVision organizer Ellen Hansson Khorsand said the alternative competition is "guaranteed to be free of genocide."
"Our competition is organized to defend human rights and do the right thing." she said in a statement.
Khorsand pointed out that Eurovision, organized by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), has lost its political neutrality because “the brutal genocide in Gaza cannot have gone unnoticed by anyone."
"We hope to show that Palestinians have hopes, dreams, culture and arts," she added.
FalastinVision Secretary Fawz Nasser in an interview with Anadolu said the aim is to highlight Palestinian culture through music.
"Eurovision invited Israel to the competition while the genocide was continuing. We did this as a way to show the world our standards and to draw attention to Palestinian culture and genocide through the music. We see it as a solution,” he said.
Palestinian artist Bashar Murad, who participated, was thankful for the opportunity to perform.
"This competition is organized to celebrate Palestinian culture, art and solidarity. While Palestine is not allowed to take part in the main stage in Eurovision, Israel is allowed,” Murad told Anadolu.
Murad noted that he hopes the event will draw attention to what is happening in Gaza and show that Palestinians have hopes, dreams, passions, culture and arts.
A member of the audience, Yla Kroona, wished to remind everyone that Russia was banned from the competition after it attacks Ukraine, while Israel, despite committing genocide against Palestinians, was not excluded.
"We have to say 'no' to Israel because this is a genocide. This is not a war, it is genocide." he said.
Russia was barred in 2022 from Eurovision in Italy after Finland threatened to pull its performer unless it was banned due to Moscow’s decision to conduct a “special military operation” in Ukraine that year.
The EBU prevented Russia from participating in future competitions.
In March, the EBU confirmed the participation of Israel’s act Eden Golan, despite worldwide demands for her elimination amid the Israeli onslaught against the Gaza Strip.
Eurovision organizers have kicked out Netherlands' singer Joost Klein on Saturday following a controversial “incident.”
Klein was initially put under investigation Friday by the EBU after he was heard asking Golan to justify her participation in the Eurovision Song Contest at a news conference amid Tel Aviv’s war on Gaza.
The organizers claimed the Dutch singer’s disqualification was not related to any other contestant.
Ahead of the second semi-final held Thursday, thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, took to the streets of Malmo to demand Israel be excluded.
Israel is trying to "artwash" Eurovision by using artistic performance to distract from its actions in Gaza, Thunberg wrote on X.
"The world cannot remain silent in a genocide," she said.
Authorities have adopted extra security measures including police with submachine guns and reinforcements from Denmark and Norway.
Eurovision organizers on Wednesday rebuked one of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 opening acts for wearing a Palestinian scarf during the first semi-final night.
Swedish singer Eric Saade was one of three former contestants opening the contest in Malmo, when he was seen wearing a keffiyeh around his wrist -- a symbol in support of Palestine to protest the Israeli onslaught on Gaza.
EBU last week decided to prevent contestants, performers and fans from displaying Palestinian flags and pro-Palestinian symbols during the contest.
It said those who try to enter the Malmo Arena with a Palestinian flag or a banner containing a political message will be stopped and the flags and or banners will be taken away, according to the Göteborgs-Posten newspaper.