Pro-Palestine protests disrupt cultural events in Venice, London
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Pro-Palestine protests shake the Venice Film Festival and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra performance, prompting calls for cultural boycotts of "Israel".
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Nabil Ayouch, left, and director Maryam Touzani hold a bag which has written on it: 'Stop The Genocide in Gaza' on the red carpet for the film 'Calle Malaga' during the 82nd edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Friday, Aug 29, 2025 (AP)
Pro-Palestine protests have taken center stage at prominent cultural events across Europe, amplifying global attention on the war on Gaza and raising fresh calls for cultural accountability and a boycott of "Israel".
On Saturday, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets near the Venice Film Festival to condemn "Israel's" siege on Gaza. Organized by left-wing groups in northeastern Italy, the protest took place just a few kilometers from the festival’s red carpet, where celebrities like George Clooney and Emma Stone have recently appeared.
Local political and grassroot groups at the #VeniceFilmFestival call for a “free Palestine” and announce that they will be marching in protest of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, on the main Santa Maria Elisabetta avenue on August 30
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) August 27, 2025
More details… pic.twitter.com/vRrrivMJiB
Waving Palestinian flags and chanting slogans such as "Stop the Genocide" and "Free Palestine," protesters urged the entertainment industry to use its influence to speak out against the suffering in Gaza.
"The entertainment industry is highly visible, it must use that platform to stand for human rights. This isn't just a political issue, it's a human one," Marco Ciotola, a 31-year-old participant, told AFP.
Claudia Poggi, a teacher attending the rally, emphasized the need for action to AFP, "Everyone can see what is happening. We can't allow this to continue in silence."
Artists urge accountability amid Gaza crisis
The protest followed the circulation of an open letter from Venice4Palestine, a collective of film professionals, demanding the festival take a clear stance against "Israel's" actions. The letter, signed by over 2,000 industry members, including directors Guillermo del Toro and Todd Field, has made waves within the cinematic community.
Fabiomassimo Lozzi, co-founder of Venice4Palestine, told AFP that the aim was to bring the Gaza crisis into the global conversation. "The reaction has been overwhelming. It’s clear many in the industry were waiting for an opportunity to speak out," he noted.
The group also called for the boycott of Israeli actor Gal Gadot and British actor Gerard Butler due to their public support for the Israeli military. Although the Venice Film Festival declined to disinvite them, Lozzi defended the proposal, comparing it to cultural boycotts during apartheid-era South Africa.
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra disrupted
In London, similar sentiments echoed as the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) faced a protest at the BBC Proms at Royal Albert Hall. Members of the Jewish Artists for Palestine interrupted a performance for over ten minutes, accusing MSO management of suppressing artists critical of "Israel’s" conduct in Gaza.
Holding banners reading “Jewish Artists for Palestine” and “Complicit in Genocide,” protesters shouted accusations from the upper stalls. "The MSO has blood on its hands," one member declared, referencing the orchestra’s treatment of pianist Jayson Gillham.
EVERY MINUTE EVERYWHERE‼️
— Earth Hippy 🌎🕊️💚 (@hippyygoat) August 29, 2025
Jewish Artists for Palestine disrupt the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra's performance at the
BBC Proms over Zionist funding and censorship.
THIS is how you do it✊🏼🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/G0RJK7LYto
Jayson Gillham's Gaza remarks spark legal dispute
Gillham is currently suing the MSO after a scheduled concert on August 15, 2024, was canceled. He claims the cancellation followed remarks he made at a previous performance, where he introduced a piece titled "Witness", dedicated to journalists killed during the war on Gaza.
🚨 BREAKING: Melbourne Symphony Orchestra deletes Board page on website to hide links to Zionism and Military Industrial Complex 🚨
— Serkan Öztürk | Back From The Dead (@SerkanTheWriter) August 16, 2024
The @MelbSymphony Orchestra has deleted its own Board page from its website after cancelling British pianist Jayson Gillham for speaking out… pic.twitter.com/fe8OFFiOhM
During that performance, Gillham told the audience that over 100 Palestinian journalists had been killed and emphasized that targeting journalists is a war crime under international law.
Initially, the MSO cited unauthorized remarks as the reason for canceling his performance. However, it later admitted that cancelling the concert was an error and said discussions were underway to reschedule the concert.
