Norway: Demonstration against Israel outside NRK before the first heat of MGP 2024!
When it became known on 5 January who would participate in Norwegian MGP, a bunch of protesters showed up outside NRK in Oslo. Fredrik Solvang, the host of MGP 2024 commented on the demonstration, stating that he does not support boycotting Israel in Eurovision 2024. He explained that such a decision would place him in a challenging position as a host, highlighting the inherent difficulty for a television station to adopt a stance amid an ongoing conflict, particularly when providing journalistic coverage.
Activities against Israel continue today in Oslo, Norway, when a few moments before the first heat of Melodi Grand Prix begins tonight, the Action Group for Palestine demonstrates outside the audience entrance at Marienlyst. They wrote in a press release:
“Our demand is that Norway and NRK work for the exclusion of Israel from Eurovision 2024. During the commemoration, we will have a total of 116 dead journalists.”
They further write that they want to remind NRK of its responsibility as a public service broadcaster, to stand in solidarity with freedom of the press and the special source journalists have to protect during war.
As of January 10, the government of Gaza reports that 116 journalists have been killed since October 7. There will also be 116 protesters outside NRK tonight. Protesters have laid on the ground, wearing blue vests to symbolize journalists who have been killed in the war. Janne Heltberg, who has turned up at the audience entrance says:
“We hope that NRK and Melodi Grand Prix get the courage to state from MGP that Israel does not have enough in Eurovision to do in 2024.”
Several other petitions have also been launched, which are being judged in Finland and Iceland.
Source: NRK
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