Thousands rally near Venice Film Festival to denounce Israel’s military actions in Gaza as a “genocidal war.”
The devastating war on Gaza was a central topic at the Venice Film Festival, as activists from a group called Venice4Palestine urged organisers to more strongly condemn Israel.
Thousands took to the streets near the festival to protest Israel’s siege, shifting attention from cinematic glamour to real-world suffering. Saturday’s demonstration, organised by leftist political groups in northeast Italy, began in the early evening just a few kilometres from the red carpet, where stars like George Clooney, Julia Roberts, and Emma Stone have recently appeared.
“The entertainment industry has a large audience, so they should take a stand on Gaza,” said Marco Ciotola, a 31-year-old computer scientist from Venice. “I’m not saying everyone must use the word ‘genocide,’ but everyone should take a position. This is a human issue, not a political one.”
Claudia Poggi, a teacher waving a Palestinian flag, added, “We all know what’s happening, and it cannot continue,” as demonstrators chanted “Stop the Genocide!” and “Free Palestine.”
Producer Nabil Ayouch and director Maryam Touzani also showed pro-Palestinian support on the red carpet for “No Other Choice.”
The conflict in Gaza was widely discussed leading up to the festival following an open letter condemning Israel, urging the festival to speak out more decisively. Venice4Palestine’s letter has collected over 2,000 signatures from film professionals, including directors Guillermo del Toro and Todd Field. A similar campaign took place at Cannes in May.
“Our goal was to bring Gaza and Palestine to the heart of public discussion in Venice, and it worked,” Venice4Palestine co-founder Fabiomassimo Lozzi told AFP. “We were surprised by the reaction—it felt like people in our industry were waiting for someone to speak up.”
The group also proposed boycotting Israeli actor Gal Gadot and Britain’s Gerard Butler over prior support for the Israeli military. While the festival ruled out disinviting them, Lozzi defended the call, comparing it to past boycotts of South African artists during apartheid.
Israel has been in Gaza for nearly two years, with over 63,000 Palestinians killed, mostly civilians, according to the enclave’s health ministry. The UN has declared famine in Gaza due to the blockade affecting nearly two million residents.
