MALMO, Sweden – Switzerland won Eurovision 2024 on Saturday, beating runner-up Croatia in the Swedish host city of Malmo, after finishing in the bookmakers’ top three to win the contest.

Billed as a joyous celebration of European diversity, this year’s contest has been thrown into the political spotlight with calls to oust Israel from its military campaign in Gaza, which led to Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel on October 7. Had started.

24-year-old Swiss rapper and singer Nemo won the contest with “The Code”, a drum-and-bass, opera, rap and rock song about Nemo’s journey of self-discovery as a non-binary person.

After receiving the Eurovision glass trophy on stage, Nemo said, “I want to say thank you very much, I hope this contest will live up to its promise and stand for peace and dignity for every person in this world ”

Croatia’s Baby Lasagna, real name Marko Purisic, 28, finished second with “Rim Tim Tagi Dim”, a song about a young man who leaves home in search of a “city boy” with better opportunities. Is.

Israel’s 20-year-old Eden Golan finished fifth in the competition despite protesters calling for a boycott of the country.

The women’s solo artist emerged as one of the major contenders to win after qualifying for the final on Thursday.

A Reuters photographer present at the auditorium said that noise was heard during Golan’s performance, but there was also applause. The noise was partially audible in the broadcast watched by millions of people in Europe and around the world.

There was also an uproar when the Israeli jury’s points were presented.

Several thousand protesters gathered in central Malmö 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”.

Later a few hundred people also protested outside the venue and chanted, “Eurovision, you can’t hide, you are supporting genocide.”

Protesters are pointing to double standards as the EBU banned Russia from Eurovision in 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine.

Police dispersed some protesters before surrounding them, a Reuters reporter outside the grounds said. Some protesters were seen lying on the ground after police used pepper spray to break up the demonstration.

25 countries competed in the final after Dutch artist Joost Klein was expelled on Saturday due to a complaint filed by a production crew member.

Audience votes made up half of Saturday’s final result, while a jury of five music professionals in each participating country made up the other half.

The Eurovision winner is awarded the contest’s official glass trophy, shaped like a classic, old-fashioned microphone, with sandblasted and painted details. The winner also gets to host the competition the following year.

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