Waving signs that read “Zionism is a death machine” and “the media buries the truth,” a group of pro-Palestinian protestors gathered on Main Street in Park City on Saturday. Roughly 75 people turned out amid snowfall and temperatures in the 20s to express their frustration with “media complicity in genocide” against the backdrop of the Sundance Film Festival. The organizers — which included Health Care Workers for Palestine, Arabs in Utah, Armed Queers and Salt Lake Artists Against Genocide — said they have no issue with the festival per se but are hoping to “educate and motivate the film industry to do a better job of exploring the full humanity of Palestinian life rather than relying on cartoony characters and cliche plot lines.”
Dalia Salloum, who was one of the featured speakers, talked about her family members who have been displaced by the Israeli government. But she took direct aim at the Fourth Estate, who “perpetuate lies and spread misinformation about the reality on the ground” in Gaza.
“[The] media should hold the values of accuracy, of independence, of impartiality, of humanity, of accountability. Why do you forget to tell the truth?” Salloum asked to applause while surrounded by protestors in front of Riverhorse on Main. “Why do you twist and turn so that we can see your puppet strings as conglomerations like AIPAC, like the ADL, like the JNF [Jewish Funders Network] pull your little puppet strings.”
Salloum declined to be interviewed by Variety. “I don’t talk to press,” she said.
The event was not affiliated with Sundance, but the festival tonight will host the world premiere of Cherien Dabis’ “All That’s Left of You,” a multi-generational drama that depicts a Palestinian teen who confronts Israeli soldiers at a West Bank protest. According to the Sundance website, “His mother recounts the series of events that led him to that fateful moment, starting with his grandfather’s forced displacement.”
The Main Street protest coincides with developments in the Middle East. Earlier today, Hamas released four hostages they captured during the terror attack on Oct. 7, 2023. The latest hostage release came in the wake of a ceasefire deal with Israel brokered nearly a week ago.
Bundled-up demonstrators chanted slogans like “Israel is a terror state” and “from the river to the sea” as festival goers made their way to various events taking place at the indie film mecca. Last year, at a similar demonstration, protestors labeled President Joe Biden “Genocide Joe” while carrying signs that referred to him as a “butcher.” This year, speakers continued to invoke “Genocide Joe” but gave scant mention of President Donald Trump.
Still, one passerby interrupted a speaker by yelling, “Thank you President Trump for freeing the hostages.” Several protestors chuckled as the man continued walking up Main Street.
Mishandi Sarhan, a member of Salt Lake Artists Against Genocide who also was a featured speaker, later told Variety that she and her fellow protestors are more interested in shining a light on the media than Trump. “We haven’t mentioned Trump specifically because most of the protests around the nation right now are focusing on Trump.” She added: “We recognize that the government is not the only thing that is helping genocide. Other protests are focusing more on the government. We really want to bring attention to the media specifically, because the media is generally complicit when it comes to genocide. They don’t report it as a genocide. The media holds itself as like a beacon of truth, and that’s not the case.”
Sarhan said the worst offenders are the New York Post, the New York Times and CNN.
“They use very passive language when it comes to how many Palestinians are dead,” she added. “They’ll say like, ‘Palestinians died in random events, but they won’t ever name the events that Israel is causing. Palestinians are dying because of Israel, and they still shy away from actively naming Israel.”
Mounted Park City police created a buffer between the protestors and a separate group of about 10, who waved Israeli and American flags. Doug Rosen, who held a large Israeli flag, said, “I’m very sad to see people who don’t support America or Israel protesting in Park City, a very American place, and dividing and driving disunity in our country.”
Ahead of the protest, a festival spokesperson told Variety that “the safety and security of our festival goers is always our chief concern.” The spokesperson added: “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.”
But Israeli thought leader and influencer Hen Mazzig took issue with the idea of today’s protest taking place at the storied film festival.
“It reminds me of the protests surrounding the Nova Music Festival massacre — not about amplifying humanity but denying it to others,” he said. “True storytelling demands courage and integrity. These protestors are offering neither, and in doing so, they betray not just Sundance’s values but the very purpose of art itself.”
