Hollywood Workers for Peace Statement of Demands
We are a collective of Hollywood laborers from every sector of our industry who stand united against war, imperialism, and state violence, and against the suppression of voices calling for an end to state violence in its various forms — from police brutality, to state surveillance surveillance and genocide.
Today, we bring attention to the suppression of voices critical of the state of Israel’s assault on the people of Palestine. We are united in our demand for an immediate and lasting ceasefire.
Over the past two months, we have seen Israel systematically deprive the 2.2 million civilians who live in Gaza of water, food, electricity and medical care; target Palestinian journalists and their families; assault refugees inside humanitarian corridors; and threaten and jail their own citizens for protesting these measures. We have heard members of Israel’s far-right government call for ethnic cleansing.
As culture shapers and bridge builders, we know it is not just our job, but our mandate, to call out injustice wherever it dwells. We can no longer watch silently as Israel’s bombs flatten Gaza into ash.
Inside our own industry, we have seen a disturbing rise of censorship. Instances such as the demotion of Maha Dakhil, the talent agency UTA dropping Susan Sarandon as a client and CAA doing the same to Saira Rao and Regina Jackson, as well as the termination of Melissa Barrera from Scream 7, infringe upon the artistic freedom of individuals and contribute to a climate of fear reminiscent of the dark days of McCarthyism.
It is not lost on us that a majority of those who are being punished for their vocal support of Palestinians are people of color, and especially women of color. In the last few years, we have watched as the powers that be in our industry — agencies, studios, networks and guilds — have pledged to diversify the halls of power.
We are here to say that it is not enough for these entities to hire women and people of color — they must commit to uplifting and protecting their voices even when, or especially when, they are engaging in critical and uncomfortable discourse. As an industry, we can not demand women and people of color to be silent for our comfort.
We also know that people like Dakhil, Barrera and Sarandon are A-list workers with networks, followers and teams of supporters, and yet they have faced censorship. We are disheartened to think about all the early and mid-career industry workers and artists who have been pressured into silence when they have expressed support for Palestine or criticism of Israel’s actions. We have heard horror stories of occurrences in Hollywood that range from writers being asked about their political views in showrunner meetings, to workers being surveilled and targeted by their superiors for their political views. We especially stand in solidarity with those whose stories of censorship the world will never hear, and we use our voices to say: we will not tolerate our industry’s demand for our silence.
We come together to call on our unions, studios, agencies and industry at large, to fulfill their duty in protecting the rights and well-being of their members, emphasizing the importance of opposing censorship and advocating for artistic freedom.
We demand that our unions:
- Use our historic leverage gained during this year’s strikes to publicly call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire;
- Forcefully condemn and take action against censorship and repression, and establish reporting processes for members who have experienced repression and censorship from within our industry;
- Investigate and put pressure on partnerships with entities and corporations complicit in human rights violations.
- Form a committee that will recognize when harmful content is platformed in a biased manner, and what is de-platformed. Though we would never ask for censorship, freedom of speech doesn’t absolve one from the consequences of what they are saying. Therefore, we must assess our complicity in the dehumanization of oppressed groups.
We urge all Hollywood workers to come together in the name of free speech and in the spirit of solidarity to actively resist this wave of censorship. Let us collectively work towards an entertainment industry that celebrates diversity of thought, encourages dialogue, and stands as a beacon of artistic expression without fear of retribution.
In solidarity,
Hollywood Workers For Peace
