Anti-Israel activists to protest Supernova massacre documentary in London

Concerned London Jewish community members started a petition on Monday against a possible protest against a screening of a Supernova festival massacre documentary on Thursday, calling on authorities to disallow any rallies outside the theatre.

By Tuesday the petition garnered 6,940 signatures, expressing concern that a supposed "planned protest poses a significant threat to our community's safety and tranquility. The presence of antisemitic and anti-Israel protestors during the screening of a sensitive documentary is likely to lead to provocations and potentially escalate into violence."

The petition organizers shared a screenshot of a text message, calling on activists to "protest outside an Israeli government funded screening of propaganda documentary 'Supernova.'"

Attempts at censorship

As part of the Seret International Israeli Film Festival, a private showing of Supernova: The Music Festival Massacre, which follows the experiences and documentation of victims and survivors of the October 7 Massacre, is set to be held at the Phoenix Cinema. The documentary is the only film of the festival being screened at the cinema.

"In recent months, the festival has faced challenges and pressures on cinema houses, with threats of boycotts and demands for cancellations," the UK branch of the festival said on its website. "However, Seret remains steadfast in its commitment to promoting Israeli culture through cinema and refuses to succumb to censorship or cancellation."

Artists for Palestine UK issued a statement last Tuesday calling on the Phoenix Cinema, Everyman Cinemas Hampstead and Barnet, and JW3 not to host any Seret screenings. The statement was co-signed by Culture Workers Against Genocide, Film Workers For Palestine, South Asians for Palestine, and The Rights Collective.

"Seret is part of a broader artwashing strategy by the Israel apartheid state that uses culture to whitewash and cover up its crimes against the Palestinian people," said Artists for Palestine. "We believe there is no moral or ethical justification for a British cultural venue to do ‘business as usual’ with any organisation that is sponsored by the Israeli regime while it intensifies its genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza. We ask you to stand on the side of humanity, against apartheid and genocide, by canceling your Israel-sponsored film screenings and committing to not host the UK-Israeli Film Festival in future."

The anti-Israel activist group claimed that the Picturehouse and Curzon cinemas had refused to host the events, as had Cines Girona in Barcelona.

The festival was held in February in Spain and March in the Netherlands. The festival will continue in Germany in September, and November in Argentina and Chile.