Pro-Palestine demonstrators have marched on Eurovision amid Israel’s controversial participation in the popular song contest’s grand final as an October 7 survivor faces a barrage of hate.

Droves of protesters flocked to Barfüsserplatz in the heart of the Swiss city, which is hosting this year’s Eurovision contest, as one protester is seen with blood smeared across her face and a prop, which is said to represent a body bag.

Ahead of tonight’s much anticipated grand final, crowds of Palestinian supporters held signs which read ‘boycott Israel apartheid’ and ‘no stage for genocide’, as they waved flags and released flares into the sky.

It comes amid fury over Israel’s controversial participation in the competition as Nova Music Festival survivor, Yuval Raphael, qualified for the show’s grand final earlier this week. 

Around 4,000 musicians, artist and music industry pros from five Nordic countries signed an open letter denouncing the Middle Eastern country’s entry in the 69th Eurovision song contest in Basel. 

Those who signed the statement, including some previous Eurovision winners, dubbed Israel’s involvement in the competition as a bid to ‘whitewash and divert attention’ from the Israel’s bombardment on Gaza.

Raphael, who will perform New Day Will Rise, saw her preview show interrupted on Thursday by six pro-Palestinian demonstrators carrying flags. 

Under the arena rules, all flags are allowed but there are limits on size, and so the audience members were quickly ejected from the St Jakobshalle arena. 

Later on, footage from the TV broadcast semi-final showed the Israeli entry being booed once again by some sections of the audience.

A woman holds a prop, representing a body bag, as pro-Palestinian demonstrators attend a protest, on the day of the Grand Final of the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest in Basel

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators lies in front of police officers during a protest with fake blood is smeared across her hands and face

Droves of protesters flocked to Barfüsserplatz in the heart of the Swiss city, which is hosting this year’s Eurovision contest

Although the jeers were more audible on social media footage Raphael was still one of the 10 acts to succeed in the public vote and make it through to the grand final. 

Raphael’s last music event was the Nova Festival on October 7, 2023, where she hid under dead bodies for eight hours, as Hamas terrorists attacked. 

That fateful day saw the militant group kill 1,200 people, with over 250 taken hostage. It in turn sparked a huge Israeli military offensive on the Gaza strip, where tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed.   

More than 53,000 people have been killed by Israel’s bombardment of the besieged territory, with all aid blocked from entering Gaza since March.

Today in the Swiss capital, ESCALATE for Palestine, took to the streets to voice their frustration over Israel’s participation in the popular song contest.

According to RTE, the group first gathered in Barfüsserplatz, where there is an area for a public Eurovision screening set up for this evening, before marching through the city. 

A large police presence is in place at the demonstration, as chants of ‘free free Palestine’ echoed through the streets. 

It was a stark contract to a previous silent march held on Wednesday in Basel, where protesters openly voiced their views on the unfolding situation in Gaza. 

Pro-Palestinian demonstrator releases a flare on the street of the Swiss city ahead of the Eurovision this evening

A woman holding a prop representing a body bag grips it tightly to her face as armed police officers stand nearby

A woman gestures as pro-Palestinian demonstrators attend a protest on the day of the Grand Final Eurovision

Elsewhere in Dublin, thousands took to the streets in support of Palestine in a march organised by the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC), as they demanded an end to what they called a ‘genocide’ in Gaza. 

Last week, more than 70 former Eurovision contestants signed a letter calling on the organisers to ban Israel from the competition. 

They appealed to organisers to ban Israel and its national broadcaster from the contest over the country’s ‘genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza and the decades-long regime of apartheid and military occupation against the entire Palestinian people.’

It added: ‘By continuing to platform the representation of the Israeli state, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is normalising and whitewashing its crimes.’

The signatories included former winners Charlie McGettigan, Salvador Sobral and Fernando Tordo.

Broadcasters in Spain, Ireland and Slovenia also called for a debate on Israel’s involvement, with protests also taking place in Basel, where Eurovision is being hosted. 

The singer said her team were preparing for a hostile reception from the audience by rehearsing with background sounds.

‘I think I’m expecting it [booing],’ she told the BBC.

‘But we are here to sing and I’m going to sing my heart out for everyone.

‘Everybody has opinions. I’m really putting everything aside and just concentrating on the most important thing.

The slogan this year is ‘united by music’ and that’s what we are here for.’

On Sunday, during the Eurovision opening parade in the Swiss host city of Basel, the Israeli broadcasting delegation made a complaint to the police and the EBU after accusing a pro-Palestinian demonstrator of making a throat-slitting gesture and spitting at the delegation.

A sign which reads ‘Liberate Eurovision, United for Palestine’ as protestors release flares on the streets

Raphael said: ‘It was scary at times, even uncomfortable, but it makes me keep reminding myself why I’m here and my agenda, which is spreading as much love as I can and bringing pride to my country.’

Despite the ongoing tension, her song is currently among the favourites to win, according to bookmakers.

In previous years, other countries have been banned from the contest. Belarus was suspended in 2021 after submitting an overtly political entry and a year later Russia was barred over the war in Ukraine.

Earlier this month Irish national broadcaster RTÉ asked the EBU for a discussion on Israel’s inclusion.

Director General Kevin Bakhurst, said he was ‘appalled by the ongoing events in the Middle East and by the horrific impact on civilians in Gaza, and the fate of Israeli hostages’.

Eurovision director Martin Green said organised understood ‘the concerns and deeply held views around the current conflict in the Middle East’, but that members should ensure the event remains a ‘universal event that promotes connections, diversity and inclusion through music’.

This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.