About seventy activists, according to the organization, demonstrated at the main entrance of RTBF and VRT at the same time as the demonstration in Malmö, Sweden. The second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest will be broadcast on VRT 1 and La Une.
The action, organized by Intal and BDS Brussels, among others, criticizes the fact that the Belgian public broadcasters are allowing the broadcast to continue, despite the participation of Israel. Some activists even pointed to an alleged “complicity in genocide” by both broadcasters.
According to the participants, both public broadcasters would have made a profit by still broadcasting the second semi-final. “While Israel is carrying out a genocide in Gaza, where more than 35,000 people have been killed, including 14,000 children, and the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) is currently invading the city of Rafah, Israel is taking part in the Eurovision Song Contest,” said Florian Gillard of the Brussels BDS movement (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions).
In addition, the activists denounce the difference in response compared to Russia after the invasion of Ukraine, which was excluded from participation in February 2022.
According to Gillard, “several human rights organizations” contacted VRT and RTBF to ask them to withdraw the broadcast, after which both RTBF and VRT decided to continue the broadcast of the Eurovision Song Contest. “Today we express our dissatisfaction with that decision.”
The organizations have also contacted Mustii, the Belgian entry. Although he has expressed his shame, “that is not enough for us. The Palestinian people are asking for a boycott, but Mustii is not listening. Other national artists are not listening either,” Gillard concludes.
Tags: Live blog Eurovision semifinal party kicks Belgium #12th place
