Finnish protesters call on broadcaster to boycott Eurovision

Hours before the final of the Eurovision Song Contest, pro-Palestinian demonstrators have demanded Finnish broadcaster Yle boycott the show on Saturday.

Some 40 people gathered in the broadcaster's lobby, holding up protest posters and Palestinian flags, Yle reported.

An Israeli contestant, Eden Golan, has reached the semifinals but there has been increasing controversy about the inclusion of Israel in the contest as the humanitarian situation in Gaza worsens.

Demonstrator Wilhelm Blomberg told Hufvudstadsbladet newspaper that they would not prevent Yle's employees from doing their work, but wanted to draw their attention to the situation in the Gaza Strip.

Famine is looming in Gaza due to the lack of aid supplies and the disastrous humanitarian situation is exacerbated by extreme overcrowding and a lack of waste and sewage disposal facilities in places.

Blomberg said it should be a matter of course to boycott the competition because of Israel's participation. Israel could use Eurovision to improve its image while the war continues, he said.

The protesters demanded a meeting with Yle managers. "They still have the opportunity to show their support for the Palestinians and stand up for human values," said Blomberg.

Finnish musicians sent a petition to Yle in January demanding the broadcaster put pressure on Eurovision's organizer, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), to exclude Israel from the competition.

Israel is a long-running participant in Eurovision, despite not being in Europe, as its public broadcaster is a member of the EBU.

The country has been fighting the Palestinian Islamist organization Hamas in Gaza since Hamas militants and other extremist groups launched a bloody raid on Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 and kidnapping around 240.

Israel responded to the massacre with massive airstrikes and launched a ground offensive into the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 35,000 people according to the Hamas-controlled health authorities in Gaza.

But criticism of the Israeli response is growing, given the huge number of civilian casualties and the catastrophic situation in Gaza. Israel says it has the right to defend itself following the attacks.