A pro-Palestinian demonstration during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on Saturday diverted attention from the starry event and turned it instead toward the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

Thousands gathered on the Lido barrier island for a march from the Piazza Santa Maria Elisabetta toward the Palazzo del Cinema, where stars like Julia Roberts, George Clooney and Emma Stone have attended premieres this week.

“Today in the Lido di Venezia, there is one of the most important global events in cinema, where the richest people in the world are here to distract the masses from something we think is really much more important,” said Emilia d’Agnano, a Venice student holding a banner at the front of the march.

Among those protesting was Roberto Zibetti, an Italian actor who came to the festival as a cast member in three films, including the opening-night political drama “La Grazia.”

“It’s symbolically interesting to say that creativity can be an arsenal of peace,” said Zibetti, who added that on stage and screen, actors are counted on to speak emphatically.

“I’m happy to make louder the simple sentence of ‘Stop killing,’” he said.

Plans for the protest had gained momentum after Venice4Palestine, an organization of Italian and international film professionals, issued an open letter last weekend demanding that the festival condemn the destruction and suffering caused by Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.