Protesters demanding Israel be excluded from Eurovision overshadowed the 2025 song contest’s May 11 opening parade in Basel, Switzerland.
As Swiss officials gave their welcoming speeches, several dozen activists who had infiltrated the crowd waved Palestinian flags and attempted to drown out Conradin Cramer, president of Basel’s city council, with boos and shouts of “shame on you”.
The protesters demanded Israel be barred from the contest taking place between May 13 and May 17 in the city in northwest Switzerland.
The chants reached a climax when Yuval Raphael and other members of the Israeli delegation stepped onto the event’s turquoise carpet, where participants traditionally pass during the opening parade.
Raphael is a survivor of the October 7 attack on the Nova music festival in Israel, in which the Palestinian terror organisation Hamas killed 378 young Israelis.
A 25-year-old man holding a Palestinian flag and wearing Palestinian headgear walked alongside the Israeli guests for a while, making “throat-cutting” gestures at them.
According to The Times of Israel, the man was later reported to police.
Both the public and participants were reportedly taken aback by the protests, while Basel police stood back and did not intervene.
Police, who had not given approval for the demonstration, only acted when protesters blocked tram rails.
City president Cramer told Swiss broadcaster SRF, “We have made freedom of opinion possible. That is also part of Switzerland. And at the same time, it has not spoilt the joy about this festival, uniting nations here in Basel.”
Not everybody drew such positive conclusions however.
Andrea Schuhmacher from local newspaper BaZ wrote, “Basel did not present a good picture during the ESC parade.” She also criticised city officials for allowing activists to “hijack the parade”, while at the same time banning a demonstration against antisemitism.
On May 10, Basel police declined to issue a permit for a standing demonstration on the topic of “antisemitism surrounding ESC” on the central Claraplatz.
The officials said the proposed protests could “could pose a concrete threat to public safety and order” and would cause “disproportionate work for the security forces”.
Previously, Swiss singer Nemo – who won the contest for Switzerland in 2024 – called for a ban of Israel from the song contest, saying “the state’s actions would contravene ESC values”.
The non-binary singer’s remarks were greeted by disdain from many commentators.
Claudio Zanetti, a former Swiss MP, wrote on X: “Nemo is not a likeable, colourful bird. He is a disgusting, left-wing anti-Semite.”