Thousands rally for Gaza as protests shadow Venice Film Festival

The glamour of the Venice Film Festival collided with raw politics on Saturday as thousands of protesters marched against Israel's siege of Gaza, demanding the movie world turn its spotlight on human suffering.

Organised by left-wing groups from Italy's northeast, the rally drew an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 people, many waving Palestinian flags as they moved through the Lido district toward the festival grounds—just as the Hollywood blockbuster "Frankenstein" prepared for its red-carpet premiere.

"You are all an audience to genocide," read one placard, summing up the frustration of demonstrators who argued that the global film industry has a moral duty to speak out.

"This is not a political situation. This is a human situation," said Marco Ciotola, a 31-year-old computer scientist from Venice. "The entertainment industry is followed everywhere. They cannot stay silent."

Claudia Poggi, a teacher carrying a Palestinian flag, echoed the sentiment: "We all know what is happening and it cannot go on."

The protest built on weeks of pressure after an open letter by activist collective Venice4Palestine urged the festival to denounce Israel's military campaign more forcefully. Signed by over 2,000 industry professionals—including "Frankenstein" director Guillermo del Toro—the petition recalled a similar push at Cannes in May.

Fabiomassimo Lozzi, a co-founder of Venice4Palestine, compared the boycott call to cultural actions against apartheid South Africa. "It feels like people in our industry were waiting for someone to raise their voice," he told AFP.

The tension was visible across Venice. On Friday, Moroccan filmmaker Maryam Touzani held a sign reading "Stop the Genocide in Gaza" on the red carpet. "What is happening is an attack on humanity," she said.

Meanwhile, festival organisers resisted calls to ban Israeli or pro-Israel actors, though Gal Gadot and Gerard Butler—both named in boycott demands—were never expected to attend.

The controversy shows no signs of fading. This week the competition will feature "The Voice of Hind Rajab," Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania's harrowing account of a six-year-old Palestinian girl killed alongside her family in Gaza this January. Backed by Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Alfonso Cuarón and Jonathan Glazer as executive producers, the film is expected to be a flashpoint.

According to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, more than 63,000 Palestinians—most civilians—have been killed since Israel's invasion began nearly two years ago. The UN has confirmed famine conditions in the blockaded territory of two million people. The war followed Hamas's October 2023 assault on Israel, which left 1,219 dead, largely civilians, according to Israeli figures.