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Greta Thunberg was arrested before the Eurovision final

Activist Greta Thunberg was arrested in her home country of Sweden on Saturday for joining a protest outside the filming of the Eurovision final, which was also attended by an Israeli singer.

Thunberg was among the demonstrators on the third day of demonstrations against Eden Golan, who will sing the song “Hurricane” in the final round of the competition. This year the 68th Eurovision Song Contest will take place in the Malmö Arena.

Climate activist Greta Thunberg is led away by police during a protest rally on Saturday, May 11, 2024, in front of the Malmo Arena in Malmo, Sweden. The demonstration is directed against Israel’s participation in the 68th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)

“Yesterday we were tens of thousands of people flooding the streets of Malmö,” Thunberg wrote on Friday about the protests. “We will not accept that a country that is currently committing genocide is given a platform for art laundering. The world cannot remain silent in the face of genocide. Everyone who can must speak out and speak out against the crimes and occupation of Israel.”

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This arrest is Thunberg’s fourth since October 2023. She has traveled across Europe to advocate for the environment. Most recently, she was arrested last month on the A12 motorway in The Hague to protest against Dutch tax breaks for fossil fuel companies. Thunberg’s previous arrest came during a protest outside the Swedish parliament building in March.

Nevertheless, the European Broadcasting Union, the showrunner of the Eurovision Song Contest, stood by its decision to allow Golan and Israeli broadcaster Kan to take part in the contest.