Malmö Braces for Eurovision Amidst Security Alerts
Malmö, the third-largest city in Sweden, is currently preparing to host Eurovision at the beginning of May amidst heightened security conditions.
It is poised to mitigate disruptions both within and outside the venue, as reported by news.ro citing AFP.
In the southern city, with a population of 362,133 inhabitants representing 186 nationalities, efforts are intensifying to ensure the reliability of public transportation during the event scheduled from May 5th to 11th. The insignias of this 68th edition are gradually being disseminated.
However, many preparations are being conducted behind the scenes due to the escalation of threats.
"We are faced with the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the ongoing war in Ukraine which impacts Sweden, and an increased risk of influence trafficking and cyber attacks," stated Ulf Nilsson, the city's security chief, to AFP. "These are turbulent times we are living in."
The police, acknowledging the potential ramifications of global conflicts on their operations and the daily lives of Malmö residents, assert their readiness to respond.
"We are not oblivious to the fact that numerous conflicts worldwide can affect our work and the everyday lives of Malmö's inhabitants," pointed out police spokesperson Niels Norling.
Representatives from SVT, the public television channel organising the event in collaboration with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), are considering all possible scenarios.
A petition titled "No Eurovision in Malmö with Israeli participation" has garnered over 800 signatures and is slated for discussion by the municipal council in April. This symbolic gesture echoes past protests against Israel's involvement in the 2013 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest held in Malmö.
Karin Karlsson, overseeing the event at Malmö City Hall, remains unperturbed by potential disturbances.
The police, asserting their full mobilisation, declined to comment on the potential deployment of reinforcements to ensure the security of approximately 100,000 tourists from 80 different countries expected for the occasion.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
