This threatens security during Eurovision

OSLO/MALMÖ (Dagbladet): Close to 100,000 visitors are expected to invade Malmö when the Eurovision Song Contest starts this week.

The event also comes with a fierce security buildup in the city – because this year it’s a lot about politics and terrorist threats, and less about music.

– It is a complex and demanding threat picture, says terrorism researcher and security analyst Hans Brun to Dagbladet.

The threat level in Sweden has already been raised to the second highest level, and the Swedish security police particularly fear Islamist extremists. The terrorism researcher believes that the biggest threat can be linked to Russia.

– It is this threat that has the greatest potential, and which is downright dangerous, says Brun.

Threats from several sides

The threats against Malmö therefore come from several sides – not least from the east – where the aim is to create unrest and division in the West.

– Then Eurovision becomes an event that is interesting to destroy, to scare. We know that the Kremlin has contact with far-right terrorist networks, and that they have the opportunity to support Islamist terrorist networks indirectly, says Brun.

The terrorist threat from militant Islamist networks against Europe is increasing. Sweden has been given a particularly prominent place in the image of the enemy of Islamist terrorist organizations – designated as a priority target.

The threat picture is further complicated by the war between Israel and Hamas, where many have protested against Israel’s participation in Eurovision.

Now an Israeli ground invasion of Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip, where more than a million Palestinians have sought refuge, is also apparently underway.

– Can this affect the threat situation in Malmö?

– It’s the kind of thing that can trigger a solo actor to decide to do something. They can be quite impulsive, replies Brun.

On top of that, there will be legitimate demonstrations, several of which have been announced in Malmö during the event. The EBU, the European Broadcasting Union, has banned Palestinian flags and posters inside the Eurovision arena, but outside it is free. And even a peaceful demonstration can get out of control.

– Together, this becomes a complex cocktail of various problems, says Brun.

Unrest among Malmö’s residents

Police officers from all over Sweden, Norway and Denmark will help ensure that the event runs smoothly. They must be “very many” in number, they must be armed, and they must be prepared to handle “a number of different scenarios”.

It is already felt in the city. There are armed police on all sides, and a subdued atmosphere characterizes the local population.

– How does this affect the risk of serious incidents?

– For many years there has been a greater investment in the police, on such expertise, so they are quite well equipped to handle this. The advantage we have here in Scandinavia, with cooperation across the countries, is also a unique advantage, which lowers the risk, says Brun.

It is still not completely free of unrest in the host city.

In an opinion poll carried out for Sydsvenskan, more than half of the citizens respond that they feel uneasy about security. This applies not least to the city’s Jewish minority. Some have said they want to leave the city. Malmö already has a big problem with anti-Semitism.

The queer community is also highlighted as a vulnerable group in an internal police threat assessment, discussed by SVT, with reference to the Pride terror in Oslo almost two years ago.

The terrorism researcher believes that the threat is mainly aimed at Eurovision as an event.

– Can “ordinary people” feel safe?

– Yes I believe. I think that you should take care to have fun and enjoy the party, and rather follow the news reporting a bit. And if the Swedish authorities were to make calls, then they must be followed.