ISTANBUL

The 82nd Venice Film Festival opened on Wednesday under the shadow of protest, as activists and filmmakers used the global spotlight to denounce the Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

At Venice Lido, demonstrators unfurled a banner reading “Free Palestine” and “Stop the genocide” in front of the red carpet where international stars were set to arrive, Italy’s ANSA news agency reported.

"We are facing a full-blown genocide, and we can no longer deny it. The atrocities must be stopped now," said Martina Vergnano, a spokesperson for the group.

The activists also called for a rally at the Lido on Sunday afternoon to march toward the festival venue.

On Thursday, hundreds of Italian and international cinema professionals signed an open letter under the banner Venice4Palestine (V4P).

The letter urged the festival and its parent body, the Biennale, to be “more courageous and clear in condemning the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the ethnic cleansing across Palestine carried out by the Israeli government and army.”

Israel has killed nearly 63,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. Israel’s full blockade of the Palestinian enclave, in place since early March, has created catastrophic conditions for the enclave’s 2.4 million residents, leading to famine, widespread disease, and the collapse of essential services.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its war on the enclave.