Palestinian artists boycott Toronto film festival
Protesters condemn Canadian festival for showcasing Tel Aviv in series of movies. Petition criticizing festival signed by likes of Jane Fonda, Alice Walker
Palestinian artists are calling for a boycott of the Toronto International Film Festival for screening a series of movies about the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.
Dozens of Palestinian filmmakers, writers and artists protested Thursday outside the offices of the Canadian representative in the West Bank town of Ramallah.
Protesters earlier handed the Canadian mission a letter condemning the festival for showcasing Tel Aviv.
A number of international filmmakers and activists also signed a petition criticizing the festival for that decision, saying that made it "complicit in the Israeli propaganda machine." Among the signatories are actress Jane Fonda and writer Alice Walker.
The festival, one of the world's most diverse movie showcases, opens Thursday.
