Speaking at their winner's press conference, Swiss artist Nemo addressed controversies that have seen Eurovision week become unusually tumultuous, with questions over the last-minute disqualification of Dutch entrant Joost Klein, as well as protests over Israel's participation. Asked about the difficulties, Nemo said: "This whole experience was really intense, and not pleasant all the way. Nemo also said they had to "smuggle" a nonbinary flag into the event because "Eurovison said no," adding: "Maybe Eurovision needs a little fixing too every now and then." Long-standing restrictions on what flags are permitted at Eurovision have also seen artists and fans prevented from displaying the Palestinian flag at this year's event. The musician, 24, said they were "incredibly proud" to be the contest's first nonbinary winner, adding that queer people "need to be heard and need to be understood."

Source: Ethiopian News May 11, 2024 19:54 UTC