\n<\/p>\n
Just hours before this year\u2019s Eurovision Song Contest final was scheduled to begin in Malmo, Sweden, on Saturday, the glitzy singing competition was thrown into crisis after organizers banned the Netherlands\u2019 entry from taking part.<\/p>\n
On Friday, the Dutch musician, Joost Klein, whose songs mix pop with hyperfast beats, did not appear for a scheduled rehearsal to perform his song \u201cEuropapa,\u201d which was then among the favorites to win.<\/p>\n
Shortly afterward, the European Broadcasting Union, which organizes the contest, said in a statement that it was \u201cinvestigating an incident\u201d involving the Dutch artist. On Saturday morning, a Swedish police spokeswoman said in an email that officers were investigating a man \u201csuspected of unlawful threats\u201d toward a Eurovision employee and had passed a file to prosecutors to consider charges.<\/p>\n
Eurovision organizers said in a new statement that it was Klein under investigation, and that \u201cit would not be appropriate\u201d for the musician to compete in Saturday\u2019s final while a legal process was underway.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The decision caused an immediate uproar among Eurovision fans on social media, many of whom were backing Klein to win.<\/p>\n
AVROTROS, the Dutch public broadcaster that picked Klein to represent the Netherlands at Eurovision, also objected to his disqualification. In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for the broadcaster said that Eurovision\u2019s action was \u201cdisproportionate\u201d and that it was \u201cshocked by the decision.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe deeply regret this and will come back to this later,\u201d the spokesperson added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n