Italy: Venice Biennale sees protests over Israel’s participation, with multiple pavilions closed.

SHOTLIST: VENICE, ITALY (MAY 8, 2026) 1. VARIOUS OF POLICE USING FORCE TO DISPERSE PROTESTERS, SOME OFFICERS USING BATONS 2. PROTESTERS MARCHING, CHANTING SLOGANS AND WAVING PALESTINIAN FLAGS 3. PROTESTERS HOLDING LARGE BANNER READING: “NO ARTWASHING GENOCIDE” 4. VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS MARCHING, CHANTING SLOGANS AND WAVING PALESTINIAN FLAGS VENICE, ITALY - MAY 8, 2026: The Venice Biennale in Italy was disrupted Friday as protests over Israel’s participation led several national pavilions to temporarily close, according to local media reports. Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said the protests were “legitimate,” while Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini was expected to attend events at the exhibition. Meanwhile, the Israeli pavilion at the Arsenale remained under tight security as small groups of protesters gathered nearby. The Israel Observatory condemned the closures as “unacceptable,” describing them as an attack on cultural dialogue. Earlier in the day, several national pavilions, including those of the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, and Austria, temporarily closed in protest. The Czech Republic pavilion also shut its doors in the morning. Protesters gathered on Via Garibaldi near the Giardini area, with organizers estimating more than 1,000 participants, while police placed the figure at around 500. Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip since 2007, leaving the territory’s 2.4 million people on the verge of starvation. The Israeli army launched a genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, killing more than 72,000 people, injuring over 172,000 others, and causing widespread devastation across the besieged enclave.