The final week in early May will, if not the biggest, be one of the biggest police operations in Malmö‘s history. For a whole week, Eurovision enthusiasts from around 80 countries gather to party, rejoice, and follow the competition live at Malmö Arena.
At the same time, protests against Israel‘s participation in the competition are becoming increasingly loud. Many demand that the country be prevented from participating. For the police, this situation means that security around the event must be strengthened. Nils Norling, press spokesperson for the Malmö Police says:
“For the police, Eurovision is a very big operation. Large parts of the personnel of the Malmö police are involved in this command. We also have a lot of people from other parts of Region South, and we will receive reinforcements from other parts of the Swedish Police Force throughout the week.”
Positive about the cooperation
The assessment is that it is not enough. The Swedish police are now seeking assistance from Danish and Norwegian police to reinforce the operation. Nils adds:
“We view their arrival very positively. It not only gives us relief but also the opportunity to train and work together, strengthening Nordic police cooperation. All foreign police officers will be supervised by Swedish officers.”
Collaboration between Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish police has occurred before. Swedish police have supported Danish colleagues in Denmark, and Norwegian police have assisted at football matches in Stockholm.
“It is part of Nordic police cooperation that we can support each other. The way Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian police work is very similar.”
says Nils Norling.
Previous collaborations
Danish and Norwegian police officers come with their own equipment, which may include police vehicles.
“We have previously received help from Danish police and borrowed firefighting vehicles, for example, during the Rosengård riots.”
Nils Norling does not want to disclose how many police officers – Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish – are involved in the command during Eurovision.
“We should not expose ourselves to being identified.”
Focus on the public festival
The police have been preparing for six months for Eurovision week. As the competition approaches, more and more employees have been involved.
“For every week, more people are engaged.”
Nils Norling says that residents and visitors to Malmö will notice a significant police presence in the city during the week of the competition. Throughout the city, there are activities related to Eurovision. In Malmö Arena, there are events almost daily, with finals and semi-finals and double rehearsals before them.
“We can assure everyone in Malmö that there will be a lot of police officers. People living in and visiting Malmö should be able to focus on the public festival. The police will handle security work.”
Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding this year’s Eurovision Song Contest to be held this May in Malmö, Sweden and any updates regarding its planning!
Source: Skånska Dagbladet
Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT
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