Pro-Palestine demonstrators chanted “from the river to the sea” as they staged a rally against “genocide” at the Cannes film festival – despite a ban on political protests.
For the first time in almost 10 years, the festival is hosting an official Palestinian Pavilion. The pavilions serve as a base for filmmakers and producers to show off opportunities in their countries.
However, on Thursday, the site was used to host an event in which activists criticised what they described as Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza. It was held to coincide with the annual Nakba Day, which marks the expulsion of Palestinian Arabs from the region in 1948 and laments the founding of the state of Israel.
Speakers at the event railed against the “ongoing atrocity” suffered by Palestinians and declared “end this genocide”, with one chanting “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.
International festival-goers, including British and American citizens, and some members of the press attended while wearing keffiyeh Palestinian scarves.
A Greek journalist tearfully called out “free Palestine”, while a South African delegate led chants of “free, free Palestine”.
The event was billed as a gathering to “remember lives shaped by genocide” and “the people of Gaza, their martyred children, women and men”.
Festival keen ‘not to offend’
It was organised by the Palestine Film Institute, which is leading the Palestinian delegation in Cannes. The institute states on its website that there is a “relentless genocide perpetrated against our people in Gaza”.
Film Workers for Palestine also helped with the organisation. The international group has characterised the current conflict in Gaza as a “US-backed genocide”, and has led calls for a boycott of Disney and Marvel over their “whitewashing” of the violence.
Activists with the group have claimed on their website that the films Captain America: Brave New World and the recent Snow White remake were attempts “to normalise anti-Palestinian racism and cover up Israel’s ongoing carnage in Gaza”.
The Snow White film starred Gal Gadot, an Israeli actress, who the group branded a “propagandist”.