Liverpool for Europe group to flood Eurovision final with EU flags in bold anti-Brexit demonstration
In an act of high-profile defiance, anti-Brexit activists are planning a conspicuous display of European solidarity at this weekend’s Eurovision Song Contest final in Liverpool.
The Liverpool for Europe group aims to distribute some 75,000 EU flags to the audience, hoping to emulate the 2019 scenes at the Last Night of the Proms when EU flags were prominently displayed.
This year, Liverpool is hosting the globally popular event on behalf of Ukraine, last year’s winner and recent victim of Russia’s illegal invasion.
The event will be broadcast on the BBC and other international networks, attracting millions of viewers worldwide. Amid this international spotlight, Liverpool for Europe aims to communicate its anti-Brexit stance.
“Liverpool is an anti-Brexit city, and we want that message to come across,” stated an activist quoted by The Daily Mail. Eurovision rules allow small flags in the Liverpool Arena, giving protesters an opportunity to make their political statement.
Meanwhile, security officials are primarily concerned with the potential hacking of the voting system, reminiscent of last year’s disruption by the Killnet hacker group during the competition in Italy.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2023, hosted by Graham Norton and Ukrainian singer Julia Sanina, will feature 37 nations, three fewer than in 2022.
Notably, Russia, banned in 2022 following its Ukraine invasion, will be absent for the second year running. This ban, upheld by the European Broadcasting Union, also excludes North Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Montenegro.
The planned anti-Brexit protest at Eurovision’s final underscores the ongoing political tensions within the UK, despite Brexit being a fait accompli. It remains to be seen how the event will unfold amidst this political backdrop.
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