On Saturday, the Venice Film Festival became the focus of the largest protest in a major cinematic event on the continuous military attack of Israel on Gaza.
Thousands, young and old, participated in the guests of festivals and members of the audience, in a great march that denies Israel and claim to end the genocide. Amid a sea of Palestinian flags, there were slogans from “Palestine free free”. Despite the dangerous nature of the message, there was a carnival -like feeling, as the demonstrators were on pillars waving the banners of “peace”, music that exploded by speakers, flares and attack.
The protest – which was arranged with the support of many groups, associations and organizations – was aimed at ensuring that the festival had a clear and modern position on the war in Gaza and used as a platform.
The organizers said in a statement in advance: “The Venice Film Festival should not remain an isolated event, but rather a space to condemn the genocide implemented by Israel, the complicity of Western governments, and provide tangible support to the Palestinian people.”
To this end, the vision could not be denied. The police closed the main roads in Lido, where the march slowly reached the main festival area. The noise can be heard far and wide.
“In Gaza, hospitals, schools, and refugee camps are bombed; civilians are deprived of food and water; journalists and doctors are killed, humanitarian ships such as freedom to float them. The law,” the statement added.
“Italy and Europe – through weapons supplies, economic agreements, and diplomatic cover – are complicit in this brutality. It is time to stop the massacre: stop genocide, stop arms sales, and stop Western collusion.”
With an international condemnation of the Israeli war on Gaza’s growth with the continued number of civilians who were killed, the Venice Film Festival-a less political event compared to the other A list festivals-has become one of the most festivals.
Earlier this week, the demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and held a banner that read “Free Palestine. Stop genocide” in front of the festival headquarters, Palazzo Del Cinema.
Before the festival, the organizers of Venice were urged by hundreds of international filmmakers and artists to take a “clear and unambiguous position [in] The condemnation of the continuous collective genocide in Gaza and the ethnic cleansing through Palestine is implemented by the Israeli government and the army. “They were also summoned to celebrities who have shown general support for Israel, such as” Dante’s Hand “Galleot and Gerard Bater.
In response to the message, Biennali said that the Venice Film Festival “has always been, throughout their history, open discussion and sensitive places of all the most urgent issues facing society and the world. The evidence for this is, first of all, the works that are presented [at the festival]”
The President of the Vereteo Alberto Barrara was asked about the festival’s position in the war in Gaza during the press conference, the jury, who said: “We have been asked to reject invitations to the artists; we will not do that.
Meanwhile, the head of the jury, Alexander Payne, chose diplomatic not to present his view on this topic. “I am here to judge and talk about cinema. My political views, I’m sure, agree with many of you.”