Why Joost from the Netherlands was disqualified at Eurovision 2024

Dutch rapper Joost Klein has been disqualified from the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest because he made a threatening gesture to a camerawoman after his semifinal performance on Thursday. That's what Taco Zimmerman, director of the Dutch broadcaster Avrotros, told the press in Malmö after Klein's disqualification.

"Welcome in Europa, I'm staying here till I die, Europapa, Europapa." These are the lyrics to Joost Klein's Eurovision entry for The Netherlands. It seems so innocent, a happy hardcore tune about loving Europe. But the goofy rapper, one of the public's favorites, now appears to have misbehaved off-stage.

Klein's Eurovision entry 'Europapa' goes from festive to serious, as he addresses his deceased father in a brief monologue at the end of the song. It's an emotional bit in which the singer is visibly moved. As Avrotros director Taco Zimmerman revealed, Klein had requested that camera people from Eurovision organizer EBU not film him in the first moments after the performance. For some reason, the request was not honored.

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When Klein noticed that one of the camera people filmed him right after his performance on Thursday, he reportedly made a threatening gesture toward the camera. As Zimmerman claims, "Joost did not touch the camerawoman." Yet, the gesture was considered violent enough for the Eurovision crew to call the police.

Image: Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU

As Eurovision announced on Saturday, just hours before the final, the 26-year-old Dutch singer would not be competing as he was being investigated for inappropriate behavior.

Image: Corinne Cumming / EBU

The statement said: "Swedish police have investigated a complaint made by a female member of the production crew after an incident following [Joost Klein's] performance in Thursday night's Semi Final. While the legal process takes its course, it would not be appropriate for him to continue in the Contest."

Image: Corinne Cumming / EBU

Without disclosing what exactly happened, Eurovision emphasized that it took the incident very seriously: "We maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards inappropriate behaviour at our event and are committed to providing a safe and secure working environment for all staff at the Contest. In light of this, Joost Klein’s behaviour towards a team member is deemed in breach of Contest rules."

It is the first time in the 68-year history of the song contest that a participant is disqualified after the start of the five-day event. Sometimes, The Guardian notes, an act is disqualified prior to the week of Eurovision because of lyrics, as in the case of Belarus in 2021, or because its home country hasn't paid its dues, like Romania in 2016. But canceling an act on the night of the final is unheard of.

The Dutch broadcaster Avrotros has responded to the decision and calls it "disproportionate". On social media platform X (Twitter), the broadcaster stated: "We have taken note of the disqualification by the EBU. Avrotros finds the disqualification disproportionate and is shocked by the decision. We deeply regret this and will come back to it later."

Image: Avrotros / Instagram

In his verbal statement to the press, a few hours after the news broke of Joost Klein's disqualification, Avrotros director Taco Zimmerman added that his team had tried to talk to EBU about several solutions following Klein's alleged breach of Contest rules, but that no agreement could be reached with EBU or the camerawoman involved in the incident.

"We did everything we could to get Joost on stage tonight," the director said on Saturday afternoon. "There were talks with the EBU to have Klein publicly apologize and issue a statement, for example." But the EBU insisted on disqualification, Zimmerman said.

Image: Corinne Cumming / EBU

The Avrotros director emphasized that his organization finds the disqualification a "very severe and disproportionate" punishment. "We are all for good manners, let there be no misunderstanding about that. But a measure to exclude [Joost from the final] is in our view disproportionate to this incident."

Zimmerman concluded by saying his team was "very disappointed and upset" and that he would file a complaint with EBU about the way the situation had been handled. This wouldn't get Joost Klein back on the stage for the final, however.

Image: Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU

Generally, Eurovision 2024 has been a tumultuous event, mostly due to protests against the participation of one of its member countries, Israel. Opponents say that Israel should have been boycotted from the event because of the war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

There are some tensions within the studio as well as outside of it. Several participants have made veiled protests against the inclusion of Israel in Eurovision. Some claim to have been harassed backstage by Israeli delegates and journalists because of their statements.

Image: Corinne Cumming / EBU

However, Eurovision emphasized that the incident with Joost Klein had nothing to do with that. "Contrary to some media reports and social media speculation," it stated, "this incident did not involve any other performer or delegation member."

Image: Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU

At the moment of his disqualification, Joost Klein was one of the favorite candidates of Eurovision 2024 on streaming platforms. He came second after Italy in Spotify's ranking of most-streamed songs from Eurovision. His video for 'Europapa' was also the second most-watched on YouTube, again after Italy's Angelina Mango's 'La Noia.'

Photo: AVROTROS, behind the scenes during the filming of the video of 'Europapa'

With the Netherlands out of the race, the three big contenders are Croatia (photo), Israel, and Switzerland. On Saturday night, around midnight, the results of the national juries and viewers' votes will be known.

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