A massive protest is brewing in Accra as nearly 400 individuals and organisations have vowed to picket Silverbird Cinema at the Accra Mall from September 16 to 20, 2025, unless the venue immediately cancels plans to host an Israeli Film Festival.

The coalition, made up of prominent Ghanaians, grassroots activists, and civil society groups, says the festival is an attempt to “whitewash genocide and apartheid” amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

In a fiery statement issued Monday, the group warned Silverbird Cinema and its sponsors that hosting the event will be met with relentless public resistance, including boycotts and sustained demonstrations.

“From 16 September, we will picket Silverbird in our numbers. If they persist, they will face relentless public resistance. There can be no ‘business as usual’ for enablers of apartheid and genocide,” the statement declared.

Call to Action

The protest movement has urged the public to join the demonstrations, framing the festival as an insult to Ghana’s historical stance against imperialism and injustice.

“We cannot stand by while the genocide of Palestinians is laundered through art and culture. Ghana has always stood on the side of the oppressed – today we must stand with Palestine,” the coalition said.

They also threatened boycotts of all companies and institutions involved, naming Kempinski Hotel, SAF STLAmandi Foundation, Rolider, Sienna Services, EON, and the University of Media, Arts and Communications (UniMac) as sponsors whose continued support would “tie their names to bloodshed.”

Targeting UniMac

The group singled out UniMac for special criticism, describing its participation as “a terrible abuse of public trust.”

“UniMac is a state university funded by the Ghanaian people. Its support for this festival is a terrible abuse of public trust,” the statement read, urging Vice Chancellor Prof. Eric Opoku-Mensah to reverse the decision immediately.

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The campaigners drew parallels between Ghana’s proud history of anti-apartheid solidarity and the current struggle of the Palestinian people, accusing Silverbird of hypocrisy for previously hosting an anti-apartheid film screening earlier this month.

“It is breathtaking hypocrisy that Silverbird, having just screened the anti-apartheid film Comrade Tambo’s London Recruits on 7 September, now seeks to celebrate the ‘culture’ of today’s worst apartheid state,” the coalition charged.

Prominent Supporters Behind the Protest

The movement has the backing of some of Ghana’s most respected voices, including journalist Kwesi Pratt Jnr, former CHRAJ Commissioner Justice Emile Short, filmmaker Nii Kwate Owoo, academics Audrey Gadzekpo, Prof. Takyiwaa Manuh, Prof. Akosua Adomako Ampofo, and activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor, among others.

Their involvement has lent significant weight to the protest and amplified the message that the festival will not proceed without resistance.

Escalating Tensions

The coalition’s statement made clear that this week’s demonstrations are only the beginning of a broader movement to boycott and expose all institutions complicit in what they describe as Israel’s genocidal policies.

“Cancel this festival. Withdraw your sponsorship. The people are watching. History will judge,” the statement concluded.

The protests are expected to draw large crowds throughout the five-day festival, with campaigners insisting they will not back down until Silverbird and its partners cut ties with the event.