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Zoë: in the footsteps of Conchita

Austria has selected its latest act for Eurovision 2016.

Published: 13 February 2016 19:33 CET
Zoë: in the footsteps of Conchita
Photo: ORF/Milenko Badzic

In the TV show Wer singt für Österreich? (Who sings for Austria?) on Friday night, ten acts were vying for the chance to represent Austria in Stockholm later this year. 

The public and jury selected the 19-year-old Zoë as the final winner.  She is the daughter of Christof Straub, who plays guitar in the band Papermoon.

The decision was made by TV viewers and an expert jury, consisting of Conchita Wurst, madita, and Julie Frost.  The fourth juror was made up from a combination vote of several local Austrian media experts.

Austrians have been huge fans of the Eurovision Song Contest since it was won by local talent Conchita Wurst in 2014.

Unusually, the song Loin d'ici is sung by Zoë in French.  The Eurovision Song Contest is the world's largest song competition, watched by an estimated television audience of nearly 200 million people.  

The 2015 contest was held in Vienna, and was won by a Swedish act, Måns Zelmerlöw with the song Heroes.

EUROVISION

IN PICS: Thousands protest in Malmö against Israel’s participation in Eurovision

Thousands of people joined a demonstration in Malmö on Saturday afternoon protesting Israel's participation in the Eurovision song contest.

Published: 11 May 2024 18:07 CEST
IN PICS: Thousands protest in Malmö against Israel's participation in Eurovision
The protesters gathered at Malmö’s Stortorget Square, with many waving Palestinian flags or wrapping their necks with the Keffiye, the scarf that is a symbol of the Palestinian struggle against occupation.
 
According to police, between 6,000 and 8,000 people took part in the demonstration. 

“Everything as gone according to expectations. Everything is calm and there are no disturbances so far,” Jimmy Modin, the police’s press spokesperson told Sweden’s public broadcaster SVT. 

Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT
 
Some signs reference the disqualification of the The Netherlands’ entry Joost Klein, even though the European Broadcasting Union has asserted that the member of the production team who has accused him of threatening behaviour was not connected to a national delegation in any way. 
 
 

Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT
 
The youth wing of the Left Party carried a sign saying, “Genocide: Nul points — no occupying powers at Eurovision”. 
 

Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT
 
The protesters than moved in a procession down Södergatan and Södra Förstadsgatan, Malmö’s two main pedestrianised shopping streets, to the the Triangeln shopping, before moving down towards Slottsparken, the park where the protest is due to finish. 

 

Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT
 
Members of other communities in Malmö carried banners, such as this one saying “Latinos for Palestine”. 

Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT
 
Some of Malmö’s Jewish community also joined the march, with one protester carrying a Jews for Palestine banner.  
 

Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT
 
Danish police had provided riot vans to help Swedish police control the protest, but at the time this article was posted, there had been no reports of violence. 
 

Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT
 
When the protest reached the Triangeln shopping centre it dispersed and spread out over the square in front.  
 

Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT
 
When The Local was leaving Malmö Arena in Hyllie, there were a handful of demonstrators staging an unsanctioned protest, who police were asking to stop. 
 

Photo: Richard Orange
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