Nemo Returns Eurovision Trophy to Protest Israel's Role

Swiss singer Nemo, the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest winner, announced on Thursday that they are returning their championship trophy to protest Israel's continued participation in the competition, highlighting a perceived conflict with the event's core values.

In a video posted to Instagram, the nonbinary artist held the microphone-shaped glass trophy and stated, "Today I no longer feel like this trophy belongs on my shelf." Nemo, who triumphed in Malmo, Sweden, with the pop-operatic song "The Code," argued that Eurovision's principles of unity, inclusion, and dignity for all people are undermined by Israel's involvement amid its military campaign in Gaza. The singer referenced a United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry, which has described Israel's actions as genocide, a charge that Israeli officials have firmly rejected, asserting that the operations comply with international law and serve as self-defense.

Nemo placed the trophy in a box during the video, saying they would mail it to the European Broadcasting Union's headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, where the organization oversees the contest. "Live what you claim," Nemo urged the EBU. "If the values...