Thousands of demonstrators marched toward the Venice Film Festival in what became one of the largest protests at a major film event. Police closed main roads on the Lido as crowds chanted "Free Palestine" while some participants adopted a carnival-like atmosphere with stilts, banners, music, flares and foghorns. Organizers demanded that the festival confront alleged genocide, Western complicity, and offer concrete support to Palestinians. The statement alleged bombing of hospitals, schools and refugee camps, deprivation of food and water, killings of journalists and doctors, seizure of humanitarian ships, and continued West Bank apartheid and settler violence. Local groups displayed flags and banners at festival sites and announced planned marches.
The Venice Film Festival must not remain an event isolated from reality, but rather become a space to denounce the genocide being carried out by Israel, the complicity of Western governments, and to offer concrete support to the Palestinian people. In Gaza, hospitals, schools and refugee camps are being bombed; civilians are being deprived of food and water; journalists and doctors are being killed; humanitarian ships such as the Freedom Flotilla are being seized.
Alex Rittman, London Bureau Chief for Variety posted to X, The Gaza march heading towards the Venice Film Festival is the biggest protest I've seen at a film event. There are thousands here. Police closed the main roads of the Lido as the march made its way to the main festival area while chanting, Free Palestine, Variety reported. Despite the serious nature of the message, there was a carnival-like feel, with protestors on stilts waving Peace' banners, music blasting from speakers, flares and foghorns.
At the same time, in the West Bank, apartheid and settler violence continue unabated. The permanent occupation of Gaza by the Israeli government marks an escalation that has gone beyond every limit of humanity and international law.
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