The Palestinian Solidarity Association of Utah posted on social media calling for a peaceful protest against Israel beginning at 12:30 p.m. Sunday on Main Street.
The post says: “We are inviting you to gather with us for a peaceful protest at the Sundance Film Festival, one of the largest indie film festivals in the world, that showcases documentaries and films that break barriers. While bombs are dropping, the people cannot continue watching films on their screens while ignoring a genocide in Gaza.”
The group says it will have security at the protest.
“We are aware of the planned demonstration/event,” a Park City Police Department spokesperson said. “The Park City Police Department and our federal, state, and local partners engage in significant planning for the Sundance Film Festival to ensure the event is safe for all attendees. The same planning has gone into preparing for the event this Sunday in Park City.”
The demonstration is scheduled at nearly the same time as a panel at The Ray titled: “Debunking Deadly Tropes About Jews and Israel in TV, Film, and Media.” The panel is a production of a group called Jew in the City, and is not organized by Sundance.
“While we do not take issue with Sundance as a whole, we aim to let spectators and news reporters know that Utah stands with Palestine,” the protest information says.
The war between Israel and pro-Palestine Hamas militants has now surpassed 100 days, with thousands estimated to be dead.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this week he does not support a Palestinian state as part of any postwar plan.
