Overview

• A pro‑Palestine march titled “Palestina libera – Stop al genocidio” crossed the Lido, with organizers claiming more than 10,000 participants and a visible turnout of actors and directors.
• A petition reported to have about 1,500 signatories urged the Venice Film Festival to exclude Gal Gadot and Gerard Butler over their perceived pro‑Israel positions.
• Il Giornale reported withdrawals from the petition by Carlo Verdone, Tony Servillo, Ferzan Ozpetek and Marco Bellocchio, reflecting defections by prominent filmmakers.
• In interviews, Pupi Avati said a festival‑time march would not sway global leaders and argued that attempts to keep the two actors away are counterproductive to dialogue.
• Coverage diverged, with Il Giornale castigating the petition as discriminatory and even antisemitic, while Il Fatto Quotidiano defended public demonstrations as meaningful civic action.