Chicago's activists call to boycott Israeli film festival

Artists, activists and cultural workers are staging a #DropTheFilmFest twitter campaign targeting the Music Box Theatre and the Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema.In keeping with the global cultural and academic boycott of Israel, organizers are calling for the Music Box Theatre to cease screening festival films, and for the festival itself to be canceled.

Chicago is known for having a large anti-Zionist community and demonstrators showed up to protest the film festival on November 3 outside the Music Box Theatre.

Protestors chanted slogans such as “Ethnic cleansing isn’t pretty, no film fest in this city.”The festival event was co-hosted by the Israeli Consulate General to the Midwest and Israel House. Demonstrators also complained of the large police presence and private security called by the Israeli Consulate.

“We want the Music Box Theatre to drop the festival. The festival itself should also be cancelled because it is part of a strategy of whitewashing of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.” Michael Deheeger, the Chicago Organizer for Jewish Voices for Peace said.