Switzerland on Saturday won the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Swedish host city Malmo, beating runner-up Croatia.
Billed as a feel-good celebration of European diversity, this year’s contest has been thrust into the political spotlight with calls for Israel to be excluded over its military campaign against the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza, triggered by Hamas’s deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
Swiss rapper and singer Nemo, 24, won the contest with “The Code”, a drum-and-bass, opera, rap, and rock song.
Nemo’s Eurovision triumph was the third for Switzerland, and the first since Canadian star Celine Dion won singing for the Alpine country in 1988 with “Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi.”
Croatia’s Baby Lasagna, real name Marko Purisic, 28, came second with “Rim Tim Tagi Dim.”
Israel’s Eden Golan, 20, finished fifth in the contest despite some demonstrators’ calls for a boycott of the country.
The female solo artist on Thursday emerged as one of the leading contenders to win after qualifying for the final.
Several thousand protesters gathered in central Malmo ahead of Saturday’s final, waving Palestinian flags and shouting, “Eurovision united by genocide”—a twist on the contest’s official slogan “United by music.”
A few hundred people later also protested outside the venue, chanting “Eurovision, you can’t hide, you’re supporting genocide.”
Protesters have been pointing to double standards as the European Broadcasting Union banned Russia from Eurovision in 2022 because of its invasion of Ukraine.
Police hauled away some protesters before surrounding and ushering them away. Some protesters were seen lying on the ground after police used pepper spray to disband the demonstration.
Twenty-five countries competed in the final after Dutch artist Joost Klein was expelled earlier on Saturday due to a complaint filed by a production crew member.
Viewer votes made up half of Saturday’s final result, while juries of five music professionals in each participating country made up the other half.
The Eurovision winner is awarded the contest’s official glass trophy, which is shaped like a classic, old-fashioned microphone, with sandblasted and painted details. The winner also gets to host the competition the following year.