logo
Pro-Palestinian activists protest during Israel's Eurovision song

Pro-Palestinian activists protest during Israel's Eurovision song

The National18-05-2025

The incident took place as the October 7 survivor sang her entry New Day Will Rise, which was greeted with cheers and boos, as BBC Eurovision commentator Graham Norton said there was a 'mixed response' in the arena in Basel, Switzerland.
Israeli singer Yuval Raphael finished in second place with 357 points, with the UK awarding the country its 12 points in the public vote.
On Saturday, a spokesman for Israeli broadcaster Kan said the protesters 'were blocked by security officials, but Raphael was shaken and upset'.
READ MORE: Israeli strikes across Gaza kill at least 75 people in 'Gideon's Chariots' offensive
'The delegation was needed to move location for 15 minutes,' he added.
'At the same time, a big anti-Israel protest takes place in the centre of Basel. Israeli national security council issued a warning to Israeli civilians in the city to keep a low profile.'
A spokesman for Swiss broadcaster SRG SSR said: 'At the end of the Israeli performance a man and a woman tried to get over a barrier on to the stage.
'They were stopped. One of the two agitators threw paint and a crew member was hit.
'The crew member is fine and nobody was injured. The man and the woman were taken out of the venue and handed over to the police.'
Swiss police confirmed the two people were handed over to them and that they have now been released.
A spokesman for Basel police said: 'The organiser handed the two people over to the police. The police checked the two people and then released them. It is now up to the organiser to decide whether to press charges.'
Youth Demand, which is calling for a trade embargo on Israel, said its supporters David Curry, 22, from Manchester, and Meaghan Leon, 27, from London, had been arrested.
Earlier, there were pro-Palestinian protests near a free concert in the centre of Basel to demonstrate against Israel's inclusion, with a small group nearby also protesting with Israeli flags.
Later the group advocating for Israel to be removed from Eurovision moved across Basel, where they were met by a significant police presence, and tear gas was seen being used.
It comes after Raphael's rehearsal for Thursday's second semi-final of the competition was 'disrupted' by six people with 'oversized flags and whistles' who obstructed her act.
SRG SSR, which is organising the event in Basel after Nemo triumphed for Switzerland with The Code in Malmo 2024, said the group was quickly ejected from the St Jakobshalle arena.
A spokeswoman for SRG SSR said of the incident: 'During the dress rehearsal for the second semi-final of the ESC this afternoon, the performance of Israeli singer Yuval Raphael was disrupted.
'Six people, including a family, disrupted the rehearsal with oversized flags and whistles.
'Security personnel were able to quickly identify those involved and escort them out of the hall.
'We would like to thank all the artists, delegations, staff, fans and guests, including many children, who are making ESC 2025 a unique experience.
'At the same time, we would like to emphasise that the organisers are committed to a neutral, safe, inclusive and respectful environment at the ESC.'
Videos on social media appeared to show a large Palestinian flag being extended in the crowd across several people, while an Israeli symbol was also seen in the audience.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Dawn French's moronic outburst on Israel spells the death of celebrity virtue-signalling
Dawn French's moronic outburst on Israel spells the death of celebrity virtue-signalling

Telegraph

time9 hours ago

  • Telegraph

Dawn French's moronic outburst on Israel spells the death of celebrity virtue-signalling

There's no denying that Dawn French's video about Israel was mind-bogglingly crass. In particular the bit when she put on a silly, babyish voice and referred to the October 7 massacre as 'a bad fing'. Even so, let's not be too hard on her. In time, I believe, we may end up owing her our deepest gratitude. Because, thanks to the sheer, blistering ferocity of the backlash she's received, other mush-brained luvvies may finally take the hint – and stop inflicting their witless political views on the rest of us. To be clear: I'm not suggesting that these people deserve to be cancelled for their opinions. Cancel culture is a blight on our age, and famous actors have got just as much right to free speech as anyone else. The problem is that, all too often, what they say is so cluelessly conformist. It's obvious that they're only passing comment because they think trotting out the fashionable line on a given topic – Israel, gender identity, net zero or whatever – will make them look good. With any luck, therefore, Ms French's experience will deter them from expressing a view on such issues until they've bothered to give them some actual thought. And if that sounds too much like hard work, and they'd prefer not to say anything, that's absolutely fine. Why on earth should we expect actors to have intelligent opinions on current affairs, anyway? Their day job is to recite words that have been written for them by other, much smarter people. It doesn't require them to think. So you might as well seek geopolitical analysis from a performing seal, or a parrot. Ms French, however, seems to have believed she had some kind of duty to air her criticisms of Israel's military strategy. In a subsequent statement apologising for her 'tone', she wrote: 'I have felt my silence is complicit or even somehow sanctioning.' Allow me to put her mind at ease. Dear Ms French, I promise you: your previous 'silence' was not responsible for a single death in the Middle East. Even if you'd published your video months ago, Benjamin Netanyahu would not have said, 'Stand down, everyone – I'm ordering an immediate ceasefire. Look, I know we want to defeat Hamas and save the hostages. But, as a nation, we simply can't afford to incur the wrath of that woman from The Vicar of Dibley.' So please, dear Dawn, try not to feel guilty. In fact, be proud. Because if your calamitous own goal does indeed prompt other celebrities to abandon their narcissistic virtue-signalling, it will be the greatest contribution to human happiness you'll ever make.

The Reaction To Greta Thunberg's Potential Kidnapping Is Disturbing
The Reaction To Greta Thunberg's Potential Kidnapping Is Disturbing

Graziadaily

time11 hours ago

  • Graziadaily

The Reaction To Greta Thunberg's Potential Kidnapping Is Disturbing

Activists on board the aid boat to Gaza, including Greta Thunberg and Game of Thrones star Liam Cunningham, will be deported today after being diverted by Israeli forces. The ship was on course to deliver supplies to Gaza with Israel warning ahead of the voyage that they would take 'whatever measures are necessary' to prevent it reaching its destination. This morning, after three days at sail, Thunberg tweeted a video saying, 'If you see this video we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces or forces that support Israel.' Immediately, 'Has Greta Thunberg been kidnapped?' began to trend on Google, with breakout search for whether or not she'd been arrested or detained. Now, Israel's foreign ministry says the ship carrying 12 activists is being diverted to an Israeli port where 'arrangements will be made for their return to their respective home countries.' Amnesty International have released a statement in response, saying that Israel has shown a 'chilling contempt' for international law by blocking aid getting into Gaza. '[It has] an international obligation to ensure safe access to food and essential supplies for Gaza's civilians,' Secretary General Agnes Callamard says. 'Activists would not have had to risk their lives if Israel's allies had turned their words into forceful action to allow aid into Gaza.' Greta Thunberg on Freedom Flotilla aid ship for Gaza. Credit: Getty ©Getty The online reaction to the news has also been concerning. Namely, the jokes made at Thunberg's expense when reports first emerged that she could have been kidnapped. According to Google Trends, 'Greta Thunberg meme' is a breakout search term for the 22-year-old, with a picture of her being handed a sandwich by Israeli forces quickly going viral in the wake of the ship being intercepted. 'I always let my hostages make selfie videos and post them on the internet too,' one person responded to her video. 'She caved at the first free snack,' another said. 'So brave! So courageous! Greta Thunberg and the Madleen Freedom Flotilla bravely shat their pants and surrendered today,' a third added. GB News host Andrew Pierce branded Thunberg 'appalling', saying 'She's so appalling, isn't she?... I loved the response to the Israeli military, that it is a boat full of virtue signalling, celebrities taking selfies.' In reporting the news of Thunberg's potential kidnap this morning, The Sun went with the headline 'Learn A Lesson: Greta to be made to watch Oct 7 atrocity vid after Israel stop boat stunt'. None of the same vitriol shared above was aimed at the other 11 activists on board the ship. For example Cunningham, who has also been used to publicise the voyage, is not named in any headlines about the ship being diverted apart from one straight news story by the Irish Star. Yet there's a unique level of anger that's saved for Thunberg whenever she attempts to raise awareness of various humanitarian crises. Her age, gender, appearance and neurodivergence are consistently used as an insult against her by those who seek to invalidate her opinions or diminish her cause. In 2019, aged just 16, she was forced to respond to a viral article about her by the Herald Sun's Andrew Bolt after he called Thunberg 'deeply disturbed' - referring to her Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis, as well as having OCD. 'I have never seen a girl so young with so many mental disorders treated by so many adults as a guru,' he wrote, calling her a 'strange girl'. 'I am indeed 'deeply disturbed' about the fact that these hate and conspiracy campaigns are allowed to go on and on and on just because we children communicate and act on the science,' Thunberg responded. 'Where are the adults?' Years later, she still faces abuse, targeted with fake photos, conspiracy theories and outright death threats. But what is it about the psyche of these largely older male trolls who feel so threatened by Thunberg? Clearly the fact she's a young, passionate, atypical woman is something they can't stand. One Twitter user said it best. 'Gotta love all the 40yr olds whose only contribution to the world is paying their HOA fees on time losing their minds on a girl who takes action for what she believes, and *wow*, thinks civilians should have food and water. Brave people they sure are.' What is it about the psyche of these, largely older male, trolls that feels so threatened by Thunberg? Whatever comes of this haunting story is certainly nothing to joke about. Rather than jumping to insult her endeavour, or to diminish the bravery Thunberg's shown, should we not all be hoping for her safe onward journey – and the aid to get to Gaza? To see an effort of such courage turned into a joke, merely because some corners of the internet can't stand to see a young woman with strong opinions, when so many lives are at stake is horrendous. If there were ever a time to resist making a meme of a global crisis, it's now.

Richard Madeley presents Good Morning Britain in wrist cast
Richard Madeley presents Good Morning Britain in wrist cast

Rhyl Journal

time16 hours ago

  • Rhyl Journal

Richard Madeley presents Good Morning Britain in wrist cast

The 69-year-old was asked how he got the injury by co-host Susanna Reid, who remarked 'that looks sore', at the start of Monday's edition of the ITV morning show. Richard explained to Susanna and viewers that he had in fact injured himself while in France. He said: 'It's a double fracture of the wrist. I was walking quite quickly down a steep pavement in France, actually, on Friday, and the pavement was loose, and it flipped up and it flipped me forward, and I thought, am I going to win or is gravity going to win? And gravity won. 'I hit the ground hard, so yeah, I've got a double fracture and we'll see how it goes.' Reid then asked whether it was still sore to which her co-host replied: 'I'm not discussing the pain threshold.' In Monday's show, Madeley's cast could be seen as the two went on to discuss Greta Thunberg's aid boat which had been travelling to Gaza and has been boarded by Israeli forces, as well as the NHS's recent calls for a million new blood donors to come forward, and protests in Los Angeles. As he interviewed comedian turned artist Jim Moir, best known by his stage name Vic Reeves, who showed him how he can make his bed in eight seconds, Madeley praised him with 'one hand clapping'. Recommended reading: ITV confirms huge change for Good Morning Britain TV schedule ITV unveils major changes to GMB, Lorraine and Loose Women Coronation street icon leaves ITV show after 25 years Madeley has co-presented the show since 2017, after previously launching ITV's This Morning in 1988 with wife Judy Finnigan, with whom he went on to present chat show Richard And Judy from 2001 to 2009. The presenter also worked on The Wright Stuff as a guest host between 2012 and 2017. Madeley's co-host Reid joined Good Morning Britain in 2014, having previously worked on BBC Breakfast and Sunday Morning Live.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store