Vienna police expect protests against Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest to include “blockades and disruption attempts,” they said on Tuesday, calling the competition in the Austrian capital one of the biggest security events they have faced.

A celebration of pop music and high camp, the contest begins May 12 and is taking place in particularly tense circumstances this year as five national broadcasters, including Spanish heavyweight RTVE and Ireland’s RTE, are boycotting after failing to oust Israel from the contest.

A handful of demonstrations, mainly against but also in favor of Israel’s taking part, have been registered so far for next week, with attendance estimated at up to 3,000. Protests must be registered with 48 hours’ notice.

“We expect there will in fact be blockades and disruptive actions, particularly on the day of the final, whether through authorized or unauthorized gatherings,” Xenia Zauner, a senior police official who will oversee the security operation, told a press conference on Tuesday.

Israel will be represented by Noam Bettan, 27, a singer born in Israel to French immigrant parents who hails from the central city of Ra’anana. Bettan will perform “Michelle,” a song in Hebrew, French and English about an unhealthy relationship, and the need to get up and walk away when things aren’t working out. The song is........

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