Thousands march in Sweden’s Malmo against Israel’s Eurovision participation
Al Jazeera
Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched in the Swedish port city of Malmo against Israel’s participation in the pan-continental Eurovision Song Contest.
Protesters waving Palestinian flags packed the historic Stortorget square near Malmo’s 16th-century town hall before a planned march on Thursday through the city for a rally in a park several kilometres from the Eurovision venue.
Police estimated that between 10,000 and 12,000 people took part. Among those in the crowd was Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.
Chanting “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and “Israel is a terror state”, the demonstrators set off smoke flares in the Palestinian flag colours during a noisy but peaceful rally to criticise Israel and call for a ceasefire in Gaza. There was a large police presence, with a hovering helicopter, and officers on rooftops with binoculars.
A smaller pro-Israel protest was also held on Thursday in a central Malmo square.
