Austria's JJ wins Eurovision Song Contest with pop-opera song 'Wasted Love.' Israel comes 2nd

BASEL, Switzerland (AP) — Classically trained Austrian singer JJ won the 69th Eurovision Song Contest in Switzerland on Saturday with “Wasted Love,” a song that combines operatic, multi-octave vocals with a techno twist.

Israeli singer Yuval Raphael came second at an exuberant celebration of music and unity that was shadowed by the Gaza war and rattled by discord over Israel’s participation.

JJ, whose full name is Johannes Pietsch, was Austria’s third Eurovision winner, and the first since bearded drag queen Conchita Wurst in 2014. The 24-year-old countertenor, who sings at the Vienna State Opera, has called Wurst a mentor.

“This is beyond my wildest dreams. It’s crazy," said the singer after being handed the microphone-shaped glass Eurovision trophy.

JJ won after a nail-biting final that saw Raphael scoop up a massive public vote from her many fans for her anthemic “New Day Will Rise.” But she also faced protests from pro-Palestinian demonstrators calling for Israel to be kicked out of the contest over its conduct of the war against Hamas in Gaza.

At a post-victory press conference, JJ said the message of his song about unrequited romance was that "love is the strongest force on planet Earth, and love persevered.

“Let’s spread love, guys,” said JJ, who added that he was honored to be the first Eurovision champion with Filipino heritage, as well as a proudly queer winner.

He said his message was "acceptance and equality for everyone.”

Political leaders in Austria, which will host the contest next year, congratulated JJ on his win.

“What a great success - my warmest congratulations on winning #ESC2025! JJ is writing Austrian music history today!” Chancellor Christian Stocker posted on X.

The world’s largest live music event, which has been uniting and dividing Europeans since 1956, reached its glitter-drenched conclusion with a grand final in Basel that offered pounding electropop, quirky rock and outrageous divas.

Acts from 26 countries — trimmed from 37 entrants through two elimination semifinals — performed to some 160 million viewers for the continent’s pop crown. No smoke machine, jet of flame or dizzying light display was spared by musicians who had 3 minutes to win over millions of viewers who, along with national juries of music professionals, picked the winner.

Estonia’s Tommy Cash came third with his jokey mock-Italian dance song “Espresso Macchiato.” Swedish entry KAJ, who had been favorite to win with jaunty sauna ode “Bara Bada Bastu,” came fourth.

Several highly praised singers who had been tipped to win fell short, including French chanteuse Louane and soulful Dutch singer Claude.

The show was a celebration of Europe’s eclectic, and sometimes baffling, musical tastes. Lithuanian band Katarsis delivered grunge rock, while Ukraine’s Ziferblat channeled prog rock and the U.K.’s Remember Monday offered country pop.

Italy’s Lucio Corsi evoked 1970s glam rock, while Icelandic duo VAEB rapped about rowing, Latvia’s six-woman Tautumeitas offered gorgeous, intertwined harmonies and leather-clad Finn Erika Vikman belted out the innuendo-filled electro-pop song “Ich Komme.”

There were divas aplenty, including Spain’s Melody, Poland‘s Justyna Steczkowska, participating in Eurovision for a second time after a 30-year gap,, and Malta’s outrageous Miriana Conte, who performed the saucy “Serving” on a set including a glitter ball and giant lips.

Dean Vuletic, an expert on the history of Eurovision, said the competition has become more diverse over the years, and the days are gone when the key to winning was "a catchy, innocuous pop song, usually in English.”

“An entry needs to be memorable and it needs to be authentic in order to succeed these days," he said.

This year’s contest was roiled for a second year by disputes over Israel’s participation. Raphael — a survivor of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on a music festival in southern Israel that triggered the Gaza war — was met by a mix of cheers and boos as she sang.

Swiss broadcaster SRG SSR said a man and woman were stopped as they tried to climb over a barrier to the stage at the end of her song. It said a crew member was hit by paint thrown by the pair. Raphael's team said she was left “shaken and upset.”

Dozens of former Eurovision competitors, including last year's winner Nemo of Switzerland, have called for Israel to be excluded, and several of the broadcasters that fund Eurovision sought a review of the country’s participation.

The Oct. 7 cross-border attacks by Hamas militants killed 1,200 people, and roughly 250 were taken hostage into Gaza. More than 52,800 people in Gaza have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory offensive, according to the territory’s health ministry.

Pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel protests both took place in Basel, though on a much smaller scale than at last year’s event in Sweden, where thousands marched in the streets and tensions spilled over backstage, leading to the expulsion of Dutch contestant Joost Klein.

Hundreds of people marched through Basel just before the competition, waving Palestinian flags and chanting “Boycott Israel.”

Earlier, a group of Israel supporters gathered in Basel’s cathedral square to root for Raphael and to show that “Jews belong in public spaces in Switzerland,” Zurich resident Rebecca Laes-Kushner said.

She said that “it would be such a strong statement against antisemitism,” if Raphael won.

“This is supposed to be about music, not about hate,” she said.

The European Broadcasting Union, or EBU, which runs Eurovision, tightened the contest’s code of conduct this year, calling on participants to respect Eurovision’s values of “universality, diversity, equality and inclusivity” and its political neutrality.

Eurovision director Martin Green told reporters that the organizers’ goal was to ”re-establish a sense of unity, calm and togetherness this year in a difficult world.” He said all 37 national delegations "have behaved impeccably.”

Hilary Fox and Kwiyeon Ha in Basel, Maria Sherman in New York, Sylvia Hui in London, Stefanio Dazio in Berlin and Stephanie Liechtenstein in Vienna contributed to this report.

Yuval Raphael from Israel performs the song "New Day Will Rise" during the Grand Final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, in Basel, Switzerland, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

JJ from Austria who performed the song "Wasted Love" reacts to voting during the Grand Final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, in Basel, Switzerland, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Winner of the Eurovision Song Contest JJ from Austria performs the winning song "Wasted Love" during the Grand Final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, in Basel, Switzerland, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Winner of the Eurovision Song Contest JJ from Austria holds up the trophy onstage he won with the song "Wasted Love" during the Grand Final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, in Basel, Switzerland, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

JJ from Austria who performed the song "Wasted Love" reacts to voting during the Grand Final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, in Basel, Switzerland, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Melody from Spain performs the song "ESA DIVA" during the Grand Final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, in Basel, Switzerland, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Melody from Spain performs the song "ESA DIVA" during the Grand Final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, in Basel, Switzerland, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Yuval Raphael from Israel performs the song "New Day Will Rise" during the Grand Final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, in Basel, Switzerland, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Kyle Alessandro from Norway performs the song "Lighter" during the Grand Final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, in Basel, Switzerland, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Laura Thorn from Luxembourg performs the song "La Poupee Monte Le Son" during the Grand Final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, in Basel, Switzerland, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Kyle Alessandro from Norway, center, performs the song "Lighter" during the Grand Final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, in Basel, Switzerland, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Laura Thorn from Luxembourg performs the song "La Poupee Monte Le Son" during the Grand Final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, in Basel, Switzerland, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Laura Thorn from Luxembourg performs the song "La Poupee Monte Le Son" during the Grand Final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, in Basel, Switzerland, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

A Eurovision fan is pictured in the cue to the Grand Final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, in Basel, Switzerland, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Gabry Ponte from San Marino performs the song "Tutta L'Italia" during the dress rehearsal for the Grand Final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, in Basel, Switzerland, Friday, May 16 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

PARG from Armenia performs the song "SURVIVOR" during the dress rehearsal for the Grand Final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, in Basel, Switzerland, Friday, May 16 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Claude from the Netherlands performs the song "C'est La Vie" during the dress rehearsal for the Grand Final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, in Basel, Switzerland, Friday, May 16 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Justyna Steczkowska from Poland performs the song "GAJA" during the dress rehearsal for the Grand Final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, in Basel, Switzerland, Friday, May 16 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

KAJ from Sweden performs the song "Bara Bada Bastu" during the dress rehearsal for the Grand Final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, in Basel, Switzerland, Friday, May 16 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Federal agents carrying out immigration arrests in Minnesota's Twin Cities region already shaken by the fatal shooting of a woman rammed the door of one home Sunday and pushed their way inside, part of what the Department of Homeland Security has called its largest enforcement operation ever.

In a dramatic scene similar to those playing out across Minneapolis, agents captured a man in the home just minutes after pepper spraying protesters outside who had confronted the heavily armed federal agents. Along the residential street, protesters honked car horns, banged on drums and blew whistles in attempts to disrupt the operation.

Video of the clash taken by The Associated Press showed some agents pushing back protesters while a distraught woman later emerged from the house with a document that federal agents presented to arrest the man. Signed by an immigration officer, the document — unlike a warrant signed by a judge — does not authorize forced entry into a private residence. A warrant signed by an immigration officer only authorizes arrest in a public area.

Immigrant advocacy groups have conducted extensive “know-your-rights” campaigns urging people not to open their doors unless agents have a court order signed by a judge.

But within minutes of ramming the door in a neighborhood filled with single-family homes, the handcuffed man was led away.

More than 2,000 immigration arrests have been made in Minnesota since the enforcement operation began at the beginning of December, said Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told Fox News on Sunday that the administration would send additional federal agents to Minnesota to protect immigration officers and continue enforcement.

The Twin Cities — the latest target in President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement campaign — is bracing for what is next after 37-year-old Renee Good was shot and killed by an immigration officer on Wednesday.

“We’re seeing a lot of immigration enforcement across Minneapolis and across the state, federal agents just swarming around our neighborhoods,” said Jason Chavez, a Minneapolis city councilmember. “They’ve definitely been out here.”

Chavez, the son of Mexican immigrants who represents an area with a growing immigrant population, said he is closely monitoring information from chat groups about where residents are seeing agents operating.

People holding whistles positioned themselves in freezing temperatures on street corners Sunday in the neighborhood where Good was killed, watching for any signs of federal agents.

More than 20,000 people have taken part in a variety of trainings to become “observers” of enforcement activities in Minnesota since the 2024 election, said Luis Argueta, a spokesperson for Unidos MN, a local human rights organization .

“It’s a role that people choose to take on voluntarily, because they choose to look out for their neighbors,” Argueta said.

The protests have been largely peaceful, but residents remained anxious. On Monday, Minneapolis public schools will start offering remote learning for the next month in response to concerns that children might feel unsafe venturing out while tensions remain high.

Many schools closed last week after Good’s shooting and the upheaval that followed.

While the enforcement activity continues, two of the state’s leading Democrats said that the investigation into Good's shooting death should not be overseen solely by the federal government.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and U.S. Sen. Tina Smith said in separate interviews Sunday that state authorities should be included in the investigation because the federal government has already made clear what it believes happened.

“How can we trust the federal government to do an objective, unbiased investigation, without prejudice, when at the beginning of that investigation they have already announced exactly what they saw — what they think happened," Smith said on ABC’s "This Week."

The Trump administration has defended the officer who shot Good in her car, saying he was protecting himself and fellow agents and that Good had “weaponized” her vehicle.

Todd Lyons, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, defended the officer on Fox News Channel’s “The Sunday Briefing.”

"That law enforcement officer had milliseconds, if not short time to make a decision to save his life and his other fellow agents,” he said.

Lyons also said the administration’s enforcement operations in Minnesota wouldn't be needed “if local jurisdictions worked with us to turn over these criminally illegal aliens once they are already considered a public safety threat by the locals.”

The killing of Good by an ICE officer and the shooting of two people by federal agents in Portland, Oregon, led to dozens of protests in cities across the country over the weekend, including New York, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and Oakland, California.

Contributing were Associated Press journalists Giovanna Dell’Orto in Minneapolis; Thomas Strong in Washington; Bill Barrow in Atlanta; Christopher Weber in Los Angeles; and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio.

A woman gets into an altercation with a federal immigration officer as officers make an arrest Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)

A federal immigration officer deploys pepper spray as officers make an arrest Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)

A family member, center, reacts after federal immigration officers make an arrest Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Bystanders are treated after being pepper sprayed as federal immigration officers make an arrest Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)

A family member reacts after federal immigration officers make an arrest Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Federal agents look on after detaining a person during a patrol in Minneapolis, Minn., Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)

Bystanders react after a man was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during a traffic stop, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Robbinsdale, Minn. (AP Photo/John Locher)

People stand near a memorial at the site where Renee Good was fatally shot by an ICE agent, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jen Golbeck)

A man looks out of a car window after being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during a traffic stop, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Robbinsdale, Minn. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Border Patrol agents detain a man, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

People shout toward Border Patrol agents making an arrest, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

Demonstrators protest outside the White House in Washington, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent who fatally shot Renee Good in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey holds a news conference on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jen Golbeck)

Protesters react as they visit a makeshift memorial during a rally for Renee Good, who was fatally shot by an ICE officer earlier in the week, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)