Eurovision Speaks Out Amid Outcry Over Viral Clip Of Security's 'Aggression' Towards Protester

A Eurovision flag flying in Basel last weekEurovision bosses have responded to the controversy that arose over a clip of a protester being roughly handled by members of security at this year’s event.On Saturday night, two pro-Palestine demonstrators attempted to get on stage during Israel’s performance, but were stopped by security.During their protest, one of them threw some paint, which hit a member of the crew, before the pair were removed from the arena in Basel, Switzerland.Since then, a clip of what they described as the “aggression” they were met with from Eurovision security racked up hundreds of thousands of views on X, with many criticising the team member’s heavy-handed approach.Eurovision security assaulting a demonstrator to protect their genocide barbie on stage #escpic.twitter.com/43J7kx10pI— Shukri Lawrence (@wifiridershukri) May 17, 2025In a statement to HuffPost UK on Tuesday morning, a Eurovision representative said: “During the live broadcast, an activist jumped over a security barrier and attempted to disrupt the show by throwing paint-filled projectiles.“One of our staff members was directly hit and physically confronted. Paint landed on his clothing, and the situation escalated within seconds. In response, the activist was removed by security and handed over to the police for identification.“His actions posed a security risk and aimed to damage the show — behaviour that cannot be tolerated under any circumstances.”The statement continued: “The incident has since been reviewed internally. We are aware that the video circulating online shows only part of the situation. It does not reflect the full context — including the fact that the staff member had just been the target of an aggressive and distressing attack.“While the emotional response in that moment is understandable given the stress of the situation, we are committed to de-escalation and do not support physical reactions.”They added: “We take the matter seriously and will continue to support our staff while reinforcing protocols to handle such incidents with professionalism and composure.”Israeli representative Yuval Raphael on stage at EurovisionIn a video posted on Sunday evening, the protester in question – who identified himself as David – told his social media followers: “Understandably, we’ve seen a lot of anger about this aggression, which we appreciate and understand.“However, we ask that people direct this anger towards the Israeli State, which is still committing a genocide in Palestine [...] and also to the British government, who are actively arming this, despite the fact that the majority of the British public are against arming Israel. It’s a complete joke, and that’s where our anger should be focussed.”Israel’s continued presence at Eurovision despite the ongoing conflict in Gaza has proved to be a controversial subject in recent years.Yuval Raphael, who represented Israel at Eurovision in 2025, was met with jeers and protests when she arrived at the contest’s official launch in Basel earlier this month, with Israel’s public broadcaster Kan later making an official complaint to Swiss police after an alleged threatening gesture was made towards her by someone in the crowd.It was later revealed that six pro-Palestine protesters had been removed from the arena after they attempted to disrupt Yuval’s dress rehearsal before the Eurovision semi-finals on Thursday.Yuval eventually finished in second place in Saturday night’s final, behind Austria’s representative JJ, although Israel did manage to secure the most points from Eurovision televoters.MORE EUROVISION:Eurovision Protester Speaks Out After Viral Clip Sparks Anger Over Security 'Aggression'Remember Monday Reflect On Their Eurovision Experience After Getting Zero Points From Viewers'I Was Never As Overwhelmed As I Was At Eurovision': Former Winner Nemo Gets Candid About Their 'Whirlwind' Experience

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