#Eric #Saade #appears #stage #protest #Israel #EBU
COVERAGE OF EUROVISION IS PRESENTED BY
“More important than ever that I’m on that stage”
Updated 17.08 | Published 12.46
share-arrowDela
unsaveSpara
expand-left
full screen Eric Saade Photo: Björn Lindahl
MALMÖ. Eric Saade performs at the Eurovision song contest.
On Instagram, he makes it clear that he is participating in the opening act as a protest against Israel being allowed to compete.
“The EBU’s handling of Eurovision is a disgrace,” he writes.
Eric Saade has repeatedly protested against the EBU allowing Israel to participate Eurovision song contest despite the war in Gaza.
But now it is clear that he will feature in the very first opening act of this year’s competition, when the first semi-final takes place on Tuesday.
In a press release tells Eurovision organizer EBU that Saade, together with Eleni Foureira who previously competed for Cyprus and Chanel who previously competed for Spain, will perform the opening number named after the competition’s slogan “United by music”.
Palestinian flags are planted in the arena
expand-left
full screenEric Saade’s story on Instagram about why he is in the Eurovision interlude Photo: Instagram
Fans visiting Eurovision are only allowed to bring flags belonging to the competing countries and the rainbow flag. Other flags, including Palestine flag, are not allowed inside the arena.
It has made Eric Saade go crazy and on his Instagram he writes that it is therefore even more important that he is actually on the Eurovision stage:
“When you can no longer wear a symbol of your ethnicity in our so-called “free world”, it is even more important for me to participate,” he writes in a story on Instagram.
Eric Saade’s father is of Palestinian origin but born and raised in Lebanon. Since Israel declared war on Hamas, Saade has been active in the protests against the war. Several times he has also criticized the EBU.
Saade: “Their slogan is a joke”
But the EBU’s press release instead highlights Eric’s third place in Eurovision 2011 and the fact that you don’t have to win the competition to be a winner, just like opening act colleagues Eleni Foueira and Chanel.
expand-left
full screen Chanel came third in Eurovision 2021 Photo: Robin Lorentz-Allard
expand-left
full screen Eleni Foueria came second in the Eurovision song contest 2018 Photo: Stina Stjernkvist/TT
Eric Saade continues to criticize the EBU even now when he is to participate in the TV show:
“The EBU’s handling of Eurovision is a shame. They don’t allow any Palestinian symbols inside the arena, while symbols representing all other ethnicities in the world are welcome,” he writes, taking the opportunity to mock the EBU’s slogan and the name of the opening act.
expand-left
full screen Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT / TT News Agency
“Their slogan ‘United by music’ (if you are not Palestinian) is already a joke. By broadcasting prime-time Israeli propaganda to the entire world, yet focusing on banning the Palestinian flag? Therefore, it is more urgent than ever for me to be present on that stage.”
He ends his post with the words:
“You can take away our symbols, but you cannot take away my presence”.
In a comment to Aftonbladet, Eric Saade says:
“I perform for my fans. Not for any other purpose. On the other hand, just as I write, it’s scary when you start talking about banning symbols (not flags) that can imply that you are Palestinian. That would be grossly racist. But I am constantly talking about this with SVT/ESC. Therefore, it feels extra important for me to participate this year.”
SVT: Same flag policy as last year
SVT’s executive producer for Eurovision Ebba Adielsson responds to Eric Saade’s statement and points out that the flag policy is no different this year compared to previous years:
– We understand and respect that Eric expresses his opinions. We have exactly the same flag policy as last year, which means that flags from the participants’ countries are allowed and that we want to avoid the arena room becoming a platform for political messages. It is unfortunate that it is interpreted differently in the media.
What kind of demands do you place on your participation?
– All artists need to adhere to our regulations and the flag policy when they participate in the program and the artists who compete need to do so when they represent the competition on an official stage.
Late on Saturday afternoon, the EBU returns with a comment about Eric Saade’s actions on Instagram:
“All of us who work with this year’s Eurovision song contest are aware of the strong emotions surrounding the Israel-Gaza war. However, there are no changes to the rules this year. As in Liverpool, ticket holders may only use the flags of the participating countries. As always, we want the focus to be on the music and avoid any attempt to politicize the television programs,” writes a spokesperson for the EBU.
expand-left
full screen Aftonbladet’s Tobbe Ek on location in Malmö to cover Eurovision
