Workers at the Glasgow Film Theatre have led demands at the venue.
A charity-run cinema in Glasgow has been urged to show support for Palestinians amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza as staff and well-known figures from the arts called for the venue to support a boycott.
The Glasgow Film Theatre (GFT) has been served with an open letter urging it to take actions in line with the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) campaign in support of Palestinian liberation.
The letter, co-ordinated by the campaign group Art Workers for Palestine (AWFP), has so far been signed by 600 people, including famous figures, local campaigners, and the cinema’s own workers.
Unite Hospitality’s GFT branch are among the signatories to the letter, which calls for the GFT to remove Barclays advertising at the venue, endorse the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), and implement a wider BDS support campaign at the venue.
A spokesperson for the Glasgow Film Theatre Unite hospitality branch said: “Our branch puts our entire support behind AWFP's open letter, with a unanimous vote of support from our front of house and cleaning staff. We tried to raise this issue last year but were unsuccessful.
“We are optimistic that the collective encouragement from staff and this letter's signatories will encourage a different outcome, given all that has happened since.
“Our members are enthusiastic about implementing this policy in our workplace and contributing to the global movement against genocide, apartheid, and oppression.”
The open letter has now been signed by figures such as Charlotte Church, 2024 Turner Prize winner Jasleen Kaur, and Glasgow artist Darren McGarvey.
AWFP wrote: “This open letter has been initiated by audiences, partners, and workers of the Unite Hospitality Branch of Glasgow Film Theatre. We urge the GFT to recognise the power of film as a medium for social change, and, through adhering to BDS and PACBI, to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people and all affected by Israeli aggression.
“Amnesty International, UN experts and genocide scholars all agree that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Furthermore, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the world’s highest court, has recognised that it is “plausible”, triggering an unprecedented legal responsibility of third parties to end all complicity in genocide.
“GFT is widely recognised and praised as a socially progressive space, showcasing films from oppressed and marginalised perspectives. It is incumbent on GFT to demonstrate a stance that mirrors this. Film is political, and to act as if it isn't, degrades the political power of the medium. It is time for GFT to stand with the vast majority of its audiences, workers, partners and filmmakers, and take a stand for Palestinian liberation.”
A Glasgow Film Theatre spokesperson said: "The letter from Art Workers For Palestine has been forwarded to the Glasgow Film Board who will review it through our internal procedures.
Glasgow Film remains committed to our Vision and Mission.
"Our vision for Glasgow Film is an inclusive, collaborative space where audiences and communities can nurture their passion for cinema and film and be empowered through participation in our programmes. Everyone is welcome and everyone is included. This is ‘Cinema For All’.
"Glasgow Film's charitable mission is to provide 'Cinema For All'. We exist to celebrate the magic of film and nurture excellent independent cinema from across the globe."
"To do this we provide high-quality programmes of curated screenings, events and industry opportunities; we empower our communities to participate through education and outreach initiatives; and we develop sector leading equalities initiatives to ensure cinema is accessible, safe and welcoming for the widest possible audience."
