Venice Film Festival overshadowed by mass protests against Israel’s genocide in Gaza
Thousands of people have protested near the Venice Film Festival, aiming to draw attention away from the glamour of the event and towards the humanitarian crisis resulting from Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Organized by pro-Palestine groups in northeastern Italy, the demonstration took place on Saturday evening just a few kilometers from the red carpet, where crowds chanted, “Stop the genocide!” and “Free Palestine.”
Protesters emphasized the film industry's significant cultural influence, asserting that it must take a stand on Gaza, stating, “This is not a political situation. This is a human situation.”
The protests coincided with debates surrounding an open letter from Venice4Palestine, which calls on the festival to condemn Israel’s genocide in Gaza more explicitly.
The letter has garnered support from over 2,000 film professionals, including directors Guillermo del Toro and Todd Field.
“The objective of the letter was to bring Gaza and Palestine to the core of the public conversation in Venice, and that is what has happened,” said Venice4Palestine co-founder Fabiomassimo Lozzi. “We are amazed at the amount of reaction. It was as if people in our industry were just waiting for someone to raise their voice.”
Additionally, the group urged the festival to disinvite Israeli actor Gal Gadot and British actor Gerard Butler due to their support for Israel’s genocidal war.
The Venice demonstration follows similar international calls from the cinematic community, including an open letter from May that condemned Israel’s war in Gaza, signed by over 350 figures in film, such as Hollywood stars Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon.
The letter, published in Libération and Variety, stated, “We cannot stay silent” as violence continues in the besieged Palestinian territory.
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