Vienna police bracing for protests and ‘disruption attempts’ at Eurovision next week

Vienna police expect protests against Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest to include “blockades and disruption attempts,” they say, calling the competition in the Austrian capital one of the biggest security events they have faced.

A celebration of pop music and high camp, the contest is taking place in particularly tense circumstances this year as five national broadcasters, including Spanish heavyweight RTVE and Ireland’s RTE, are boycotting after failing to oust Israel from the contest.

A handful of demonstrations, mainly against but also in favor of Israel’s taking part, have been registered so far for next week, with attendance estimated at up to 3,000. Protests must be registered with 48 hours’ notice.

“We expect there will in fact be blockades and disruptive actions, particularly on the day of the final, whether through authorized or unauthorized gatherings,” Xenia Zauner, a senior police official who will oversee the security operation, tells a press conference.

Police are preparing for a wide range of threats.

Drones will be banned within 1.5 km (0.9 miles) of sites including the contest venue, and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation will set up a task force in New York next week that Austrian authorities can contact around the clock to address cyber threats, police say.

While the general “terrorism alert level” in Austria has been at the second-highest notch for more than two years, there is no specific threat against the contest, says Vienna police Vice President Dieter Csefan.