Over 400 Irish artists ask Bambie Thug to boycott this year’s Eurovision
Bambie Thug performing Doomsday Blue wins The Late Late Eurosong Special to represent Ireland in Malmö, Sweden in May of this year at the 68th Eurovision Song Contest. Photo Andres Poveda
Over 400 Irish artists ask Bambie Thug to "stand on the right side of history" by boycotting this year’s Eurovision Song Contest to show support for Palestine.
The artists penned a letter to Bambie Thug to boycott the competition, a mere three weeks from the start of the song contest.
Among the signatories of the letter are the musicians Emma Langford and Erica-Cody, photographer Ruth Medjber, and the actor Siobhán McSweeney.
The letter cites the importance of global events like the Eurovision has on Israel’s attempt to ‘artwash its genocidal crimes against Palestinians in Gaza’ where at least 33,000 people have been killed and approximately 13,500 fatalities being children, according to the artists.
The letter also speaks of Israel's forced starvation of people in Gaza by denying access to humanitarian aid, and the escalation in attacks by settlers and soldiers on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
“Participation in “any enterprise that provides cover for and normalises such gross human rights violations is simply unconscionable,” the 400 artists added.
In March, Irish artists including Kneecap, Gavin James and Mick Flannery, just to name a few, withdrew from the in Texas due to the event being sponsored by the US military and the artist encouraged Bambie Thug to follow in their footsteps.
Addressing Bambie Thug, the artists conclude: “History will celebrate you if you withdraw from Eurovision 2024. We urge you to do the right thing.”
The Irish Artists for Palestine set up an online petition to RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst to withdraw Ireland’s participation at the Eurovision, in protest at the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) deciding to not ban Israel.
The petition has been signed by over 16,500 people to date.
The Cork artist has previously said they will not be boycotting Eurovision and explained their decision on on Friday night.
Bambie Thug said “I stand with anyone doing the boycott. I think if I wasn't in the competition I would also be boycotting.
"There are a lot of moving parts and at the end of the day, without the group of us - who is pro-Palestine - it is less competition for the other side to win and it's less solidarity there.
"Obviously, it's incredibly heavy and I am extremely behind everybody."
Bambie will face Ukraine, Cyprus, Poland, Serbia, Lithuania, Croatia, Slovenia, Iceland, Finland, Portugal, Luxembourg, Australia and Moldova in the first of two semi-finals on Tuesday, May 7.
