Pro-Palestine protestors returned to the streets of Park City at the Sundance Film Festival on Saturday, January 25 to again call out “media complicity in genocide.”
Between 30 to 50 demonstrators took to a snowy Main Street shortly after 1 p.m. MT and chanted phrases like “No peace on stolen land,” “Occupation no more,” and “Israel is a terrorist state,” while also calling out journalists and filmmakers attending the festival.
“Journalists and filmmakers don’t speak the truth because they have lost their moral compass,” one speaker said to the crowd. The speakers repeatedly slammed the media and reporters for what they believed was a failure to report on war crimes, and that the liberal mainstream media was responsible for sowing division.
The protest comes amid the first phase of a ceasefire in the Gaza War between Israel and Hamas, in which fighting has halted since last Saturday and Hamas has been gradually releasing Israelis taken hostage during the attacks on October 7, 2023. Israel in exchange is releasing Palestinian detainees.
The protest, which was billed as a peaceful demonstration, was organized by the Health Care Workers for Palestine, a Salt Lake City-based group that was among the organizers for last year’s event that attracted between 100-200 demonstrators, as well as celebrity participants such as Melissa Barrera and Indya Moore. Also participating in the protest are the groups Arabs in Utah, Salt Lake Artists Against Genocide, and Armed Queers, which in 2024 provided security for the demonstrators.
The organizers took to Main Street in Park City, settling just in front of Sundance’s Filmmakers Lodge. Reps for the group say it is not a protest against the Sundance Film Festival specifically but is targeted at the film industry, urging it to explore “the full humanity of Palestinian life, rather than relying on cartoony characters and cliché plot lines.”
“There continues to be a noticeable lack of Palestinian voices in media and entertainment generally, including films and TV shows,” says Mishandi Sarhan, one of the speakers at the protest and a member of Salt Lake Artists Against Genocide. “The current absence or bias in representation contributes to the warping of public opinion and is unacceptable. We are demanding a fuller and more balanced approach to portrayal of the Palestinian experience.”
The pro-Palestinian demonstrators were met by a handful of counter protestors who held an Israeli flag and American flag, while several police officers on horses were also positioned in the middle of the street. With Sundance closing Main Street to vehicle traffic, the demonstrators gathered in a circle in the middle of the street rather than along the sidewalk as was the case in 2024.
Last year, protestors carried signs and banners that said “Let Gaza Live,” “Ceasefire Now,” and “Deplatform Zionism.” The protestors also gave a list of demands to now-former president Joe Biden and labeled him “Genocide Joe.” One of the speakers reminded the crowd that they said last January that “Come November we will remember,” and they did, choosing to vote with their conscience.
As IndieWire reported at the time, the event took place at the same time as a panel discussion about Israeli representation in the media. Neither the protest nor the panel were affiliated with Sundance.
“The safety and security of our festival goers is always our chief concern,” a festival rep in a statement to IndieWire said. “This peaceful protest is not being put on by the Sundance Institute or the Festival, and as with all events that are not affiliated with our Festival, we are in constant contact with local and state law enforcement, who are committed to upholding an environment that is welcoming and secure for all our attendees. Our Safety and Belonging team remains dedicated to fostering an environment cut from the Sundance fabric within Festival theaters and venues — a safe, inclusive, and welcoming space for respectful dialogue, a passionate exchange of ideas, and an inclusive celebration of our shared humanity.”
