Locarno Film Festival protest honours 60,000 Palestinians killed by Israel in Gaza

Protesters unfurled a massive shroud bearing the names of 60,000 people killed in Gaza at the festival to remember

A powerful pro-Palestinian demonstration took place at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland on Saturday, with protesters unfurling a massive shroud bearing the names of 60,000 people killed in Gaza.

The peaceful demonstration brought the ongoing devastation in Gaza into the heart of one of Europe's major film festivals. The enormous cloth, covered with names, was displayed at the festival as demonstrators called attention to the Palestinian lives lost during Israel's assault on Gaza.

The protest is part of a growing presence of Gaza-related activism at major international film festivals. Locarno has previously screened Palestinian cinema, including Kamal Aljafari's With Hasan in Gaza, which premiered at the festival in 2025 and explored rediscovered footage documenting Gaza during the Second Intifada.

The 79th Locarno Film Festival is taking place from August 5 to 15, bringing filmmakers and stars to Switzerland's Lake Maggiore. This year's programme includes Palestinian director Mohanad Yaqubi's Revolutionaries Never Die, alongside films exploring war, borders and political identity.

The demonstration adds Locarno to a growing list of major film festivals where artists and activists have used the international spotlight to protest Israel's actions in Gaza and demand greater attention to the Palestinian humanitarian crisis.