STORY: Pro-Palestinian protesters gathered on the Venice Lido on Saturday (August 30) afternoon, planning to march to the Venice Film Festival venue.

According to organisers on the ground, some 5,000 people attended the demonstration, calling on urgent attention to the war in Gaza.

Armed with flags and banners, the demonstrators gathered by the island's main water bus station and marched down the high street, slowly walking towards the film festival venue some three kilometres away.

The peaceful protest was not expected to pass the security check points surrounding the festival area or disrupt proceedings at the cinema showcase.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: VENICE, ITALY (AUGUST 30, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

1.DEMONSTRATORS WITH PALESTINIAN FLAGS GATHERING NEAR WATER BUS STATION ON VENICE LIDO

2. DEMONSTRATOR WAVING PALESTINIAN FLAG

3. DEMONSTRATORS HOLDING UP POSTERS AND FLAGS

4. DEMONSTRATORS CHANTING (Italian) “Venice knows what side to be on, free Palestine from the river to the sea”

5. DEMONSTRATORS WITH PEACE FLAGS ON STILTS

6. DEMONSTRATOR HOLDING UP BANNER WITH PHOTOS AND TEXT READING (English and Italian) “What if it were YOU?”

7. DEMONSTRATORS SIGNING BANNER WITH TEXT READING (English) “NOT IN MY NAME”

8. PAPER BOATS MADE BY DEMONSTRATORS

9. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ACTOR, TECLA INSOLIA, SAYING:

“We are film industry workers, but we are humans first, we’re people who are horrified by what’s happening, the genocide in Gaza. So it’s important to be here to show our support.”

10. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) DEMONSTRATOR FROM JESOLO, NEAR VENICE, CATERINA DALLA PRIA, SAYING:

“War is always ugly, and that’s the main reason I’m here and then because it’s really vile of the humankind to wage a war like this, this war has to stop, it’s shameful.“

11. DEMONSTRATORS PREPARING FLAGS

12. (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEMONSTRATOR FROM VENICE, GIOVANNI LEONE, SAYING:

“We put together the flags of Israel and Palestinians with ONU (UN in Italian), the United Nations and with peace. That means it’s not about the governments but it’s about the people. The people must stay together. If we want to do peace, they have to speak. They have to find an agreement together.”

13. DEMONSTRATORS MARCHING BEHIND LARGE BANNER

14. DEMONSTRATORS MARCHING, WAVING FLAGS AND BANNERS

15. DEMONSTRATOR HOLDING BANNER READING (English) “You are all an audience to genocide”

16. DEMONSTRATORS BLOCKING MAIN ROAD OF VENICE LIDO