this post was submitted on 02 May 2024
191 points (94.8% liked)

World News

38222 readers
3626 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News [email protected]

Politics [email protected]

World Politics [email protected]


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

Organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest said Thursday they reserve the right to remove any Palestinian flags and pro-Palestinian symbols at the show next week in Sweden.

The announcement came amid heightened tensions surrounding Israel’s participation in the annual music competition over its military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, now in its seventh month. Pro-Palestinian groups are expected to stage large protests in Malmo to raise awareness of their cause.

Michelle Roverelli, the head of communications for the European Broadcasting Union that runs the show each year, said ticket holders are only allowed to bring and display flags representing countries that take part in the event, as well as the rainbow-colored flag.

all 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 73 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

What a hill to die on. They banned Russia; it would have been such an easy and consistent decision to ban Israel too, especially when they started deliberately starving Palestinian civilians. Can’t wait for the PR response the moment this Genocide becomes officially recognized, “wir haben es nicht gewusst“ 2.0

[–] [email protected] 42 points 3 months ago (2 children)

I assume they're allowing the Israeli flag?

[–] FlyingSquid 49 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Israel is a competitor, so there's no question the Israeli flag will be shown at least as a logo on television.

[–] LordOfLocksley 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Shame they won't be making it to the final though

[–] FlyingSquid 2 points 3 months ago

I'd sure as hell be surprised if they did. They'd have to be on the Abba level.

[–] [email protected] 27 points 3 months ago

Michelle Roverelli, the head of communications for the European Broadcasting Union that runs the show each year, said ticket holders are only allowed to bring and display flags representing countries that take part in the event, as well as the rainbow-colored flag.

Yes of course.

[–] The_Cunt_of_Monte_Cristo 38 points 3 months ago

They should've banned israel.

[–] [email protected] 34 points 3 months ago

Well duh, it’s antisemitism to criticize Israel, didn’t you know that?

[–] wurzelgummidge 24 points 3 months ago (1 children)

The Eurovision Song Contest is an incredibly easy thing to boycott

[–] T00l_shed 5 points 3 months ago

It's funny, I always have boycotted it, but now I will do so out of principle instead of indifference.

[–] QuantumSpecter 24 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Will flags and symbols from Ukraine also be banned?

[–] FlyingSquid 25 points 3 months ago (3 children)

Ukraine is a participant in Eurovision 2024, so no.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukraine_in_the_Eurovision_Song_Contest_2024

Come on, people. I'm an American, I don't even like Eurovision, and I still know this stuff.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I thought it was a rhetorical question

[–] njm1314 12 points 3 months ago

Very clearly was I agree.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 months ago (1 children)

The Ukrainian entry in 2021 was probably my favorite Eurovision song ever, check out the version they did for the contest. Shum by Go_A.

[–] FlyingSquid 4 points 3 months ago (3 children)

The only Eurovision song in relatively recent memory I enjoyed was this one, because it made me laugh. The rest? Meh. I used to watch it just to see the spectacle, but I haven't bothered at all in a while. Actually, that was the last year I watched it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBAdOlQPbwg

(They did not win.)

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I used to watch it just to see the spectacle

Heck one can watch just for the smoothness of organisation. Half a gazillion acts, one after the other with stage decoration changes, sometimes quite drastically, live, but it looks like a ultra-tight cut prerecording.

[–] FlyingSquid 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

They definitely do a very good job, I just got to the point that I couldn't take the music.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago

That's why you combine it with a drinking game. Also the really bad acts are from countries who want to make sure they're not going to win and have to spend money on hosting the next contest, that is, you can appreciate them for the creative ways in which they are deliberately bad.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago

That's hilarious. I love the goofy Eurovision acts.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

Here is an alternative Piped link(s):

https://www.piped.video/watch?v=DBAdOlQPbwg

Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.

I'm open-source; check me out at GitHub.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 months ago

Come on, people. That was clearly rhetorical, and I still recognized this stuff.

[–] taanegl 19 points 3 months ago (5 children)

The gay can stay, but Palestine go away.

I think it's perfectly fitting that Palestine's flag be on display, taking into consideration all the meddling and financial support going on, which begs the question: what other flags would need to be on display? Afghani? Iraqi?

If we're going to have representation, let us have representation.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Quick correction: Afghan flag is the proper terminology, Afghan people, Afghan rugs, etc. The Afghan Afghani is the currency only.

[–] TexasDrunk 6 points 3 months ago

Can we call a knit throw an Afghan Afghan?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I think it's perfectly fitting that Palestine's flag be on display, taking into consideration all the meddling and financial support going on,

Can you please clarify what you mean by meddling and financial support.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

Western countries are financing Israel and supporting them via laws and actions such as this?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

The actual question is: Which participant flags or combinations of those can be folded into a Palestinian flag?

Hungary and Italy have white and green adjacent that's a good start, add Germany resp. Belgium for black, red for the triangle is quite abundant take your pick.

What are they going to do, kick people out during the livestream?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

palestine isn't a member of the european broadcast union nor is it involved in eurovision why is it fitting that it would be on display?

[–] taanegl 2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Bro, why is Israel even in there? "They are in the broadcast union" is not the gotcha you think it is. Isreal neighbours are Egypt, Yemen, Iran and so forth.

The fact that you don't see that European intervention and colonization in the middle east merits representation in European media shows a disconnect that can only be described as pure unadulterated repression. If you then also try to say "music" or "the arts" shouldn't be political", I can only assume you actually like to listen to the music that comes from EuroVision.

If you want to continue with the financing of geo-political fuckery under the guise of "liberalism", you've got to face it as well. You shouldn't get to bury your head in the sand.

That being said, Palestine flags should be prominently features in the Isreali part of the crowd, since Isreal occupies their land.

It's only fair to have proper representation.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Bro, why is Israel even in there?

because they're a member of the broadcast union (and have been for 60 years) and that's what eurovision is for? it wasn't supposed to be a gotcha, i was just stating a fact.

That being said, Palestine flags should be prominently features in the Isreali part of the crowd, since Isreal occupies their land.

It’s only fair to have proper representation.

it's literally a song competition... not a debate

[–] Linkerbaan 13 points 3 months ago

Good thing they banned Russia though. Totally doesn't make them look like massive hypocrites.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago

This is not news. It was the same last year.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 3 months ago

good it's a song contest it's not the place for politics

[–] AWittyUsername -3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Yet people will still watch this shit

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

Bread and circus.

[–] [email protected] -5 points 3 months ago

Given the amount of protest and potential terrorism the event is likely to attract, the security services will have to impose a ring of steel on Malmö and surrounding areas. Chances are that Israeli military contractors will be involved, installing surveillance technology tested on Palestinians and integrating it into CCTV camera networks, MAC address sniffers, real-time transport databases and feeds from intelligence services. As a bonus, if Sweden quietly keeps the system after Eurovision is over, it may prove useful in cracking down on the violent gang wars taking place there.