The broadcaster claims it will not be deterred from taking part in Vienna next May.
In any case, SBS gets points for transparency, for reporting on a protest calling on SBS to boycott it Eurovision Song Contest, following Israel’s inclusion in the 2026 event.
According to SBSAn estimated 600 people gathered outside SBS’s headquarters in Melbourne on Sunday.
Pro-Palestinian protesters who gathered in Melbourne on Sunday called for sanctions against Israel and an end to arms shipments and military action in Gaza, while also demanding that the SBS boycott the Eurovision Song Contest.
The demonstrators marched from the State Library to the broadcaster’s Melbourne offices at Federation Square.
“SBS, our public broadcaster, has a responsibility not to provide a platform to a country that is committing war crimes, that is committing genocide,” said Mai Saif, a Palestinian community member and organizer. SBS news.
“We respect people’s right to express their opinions peacefully and respectfully. SBS’s participation in and reporting on Eurovision will continue in 2026,” said an SBS spokesperson.
“Eurovision was created to bring people and cultures together through music, a goal that continues to define the competition and has defined SBS broadcasts for more than 40 years.
“Our position remains that, as a public broadcaster, making a decision to be involved based on the inclusion or exclusion of any country would undermine the editorial independence and impartiality of SBS,” she added.
“SBS recognizes and respects the deeply held views and concerns about the war in the Middle East and its impact, both locally among our audiences and internationally, as reflected by other broadcasters. It is our responsibility to provide comprehensive, trusted and unbiased coverage to Australians across our network, and we will continue to do that.”
The protesters who gathered in Melbourne on Sunday rejected SBS’s position Eurovision.
“If you believe in inclusivity, you also believe in ensuring that those who do not commit war crimes and atrocities are not targeted,” Saif said.
Pro-Palestinian rallies have been held in Melbourne on Sundays in 2025 and beyond.
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