Namely, the host city Malmö (Sweden) was beset with weeklong protests at the inclusion of an Israeli entry. In the weeks running up to Saturday’s final the Irish contestant – Bambie Thug, who uses they/them pronouns – was met with thousands of calls to boycott the entire thing. The Israeli contestant, meanwhile, was ordered to camp out in her hotel room between performances, for fear of her personal safety. [ Bambie Thug’s sixth place makes for dramatic Eurovision night in Malmo ]Organisers may aspire to a politically neutral event but this base naivete was thrown into sharp relief by Ireland’s Bambie. Bambie – in their capacity as an Irish representative on an international stage – ought to have been a little more in touch with the basics on this one.

Source: The Irish Times May 16, 2024 22:19 UTC