Iceland fined for pro-Palestinian protest at Eurovision
September 22, 2019
Icelandic public broadcaster RUV will be fined because the band it entered at the Eurovision Song Contest displayed scarves with Palestinian flags at the contest in Israel.
Read more: Opinion: Should the Eurovision Song Contest be politicized?
Icelandic band Hatari held up the Palestinian colors when the final results were being announced at the contest, which was held in Tel Aviv.
The European Broadcasting Union said the act violated the competition's ban on political statements. They did not mention the size of the fine.
Hatari is an anti-capitalist, sadomasochistic, techno-dystopian performance art collective that carries a political message, according to the description of the band on the Eurovision website.
"Hatari is a political, multimedia project that aims to take the lid off the relentless, unfolding scam that is everyday life," the description reads.
During the 2019 Eurovision, Madonna also courted controversy when her dancers carried Israeli and Palestinian flags on their costumes.
Israel hosted the event this year because Israeli singer Netta Barzilai won the contest the previous year.
Next year's Eurovision Song Contest will be held in the Netherlands.
cw/sms (AFP, dpa)
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