The moment "Israel’s" contestant, Naom Bettan, stepped onto the stage at the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, the arena was overtaken by chants of "Stop, stop, stop the genocide," as pro-Palestine protesters disrupted the performance in a direct act of defiance against "Israel’s" ongoing genocidal war on Gaza since October 7, 2023.
Several demonstrators were forcibly removed, with footage showing protesters being dragged out of the venue.
Despite this, the official Eurovision broadcast and YouTube upload edited out the chants entirely.
Earlier in the day, protests in Vienna called for "Israel’s" exclusion from the semi-finals, with one demonstrator stating, "We are here today to draw attention to the fact that a genocidal state is performing… it is a terrible disgrace."
The backlash is also reflected institutionally, as public broadcasters from Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, and Slovenia have boycotted this year’s contest, shrinking participation to its lowest level since 2003 with 35 entries. This will also potentially impact viewership, which stood at 166 million last year.
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