Several unions linked to public broadcasters RTBF and VRT have called for a boycott of the Eurovision Song Contest, which is set to take place in Austria from 12 to 16 May.
The CGSP-ACOD union argues against Israel’s participation due to ongoing violence in Gaza and urged the broadcasters to withdraw from the event.
To emphasise their stance, unions displayed mannequins in the entrance halls of both broadcasters, spelling out the message "Boycott Eurovision".
They also sent an official letter requesting that both public broadcasters not send a candidate and refrain from airing the contest.
"This is the third consecutive year we have carried out actions related to Eurovision," said Ilse Orbaen, Vice-President of ACOD for VRT, the Dutch-speaking Belgian public media.
"The first year we interrupted the broadcast with a protest banner; last year we partnered with Oxfam, and this time, we are joined by colleagues from RTBF and supported by a wide civil movement."
Eric Tamundele, a union representative at CGSP and RTBF director, stressed that this is part of "a broader international effort". RTBF is the French-speaking Belgian public media
He noted that countries like Spain, the Netherlands, and Ireland have embraced the boycott, while unions in Malta and Greece are also mobilising to stop the broadcast.
For now, RTBF plans to reveal its candidate as scheduled on Thursday. Meanwhile, VRT confirmed it will broadcast the contest but intends to provide "additional contextualisation".
