Pro-Palestine protesters interrupt Toronto Film Festival's opening night, walk inside the theatre

The opening night of the Toronto International Film Festival was rocked by the chants of pro-Palestine protesters. TIFF, one of the prestigious film festivals of the world, kicked off on Thursday (Sept 5) with the premiere of Ben Stiller's movie Nutcrackers. However, the first day of the festival didn't go as smoothly as it was expected.

The pro-Palestine protestors disrupted the screening of David Gordon Green’s movie at the Toronto’s Princess of Wales theatre.

The protest was against the Royal Bank of Canada and its ties with the festival. Walking inside the theatre hall, the four protestors called out RBC for funding genocide.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Comedian Ben Stiller says thrilled Nutcrackers opening Toronto Film Festival

In the audience-packed theatre, they chanted, “From Turtle Island to Palestine, RBC funds genocide”

Some of the protestors raised banners reading, '' “RBC is killing our future'' and ''TIFF, cut ties with RBC.”

Kyle Buchanan, the New York Times awards columnist, who was present in the audience shared a videoof the protestors.

The brief protest took place when director Cameron Bailey was addressing the audience.

Sharing the clip, Buchanan wrote, ''Protestors interrupt the opening night premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, criticizing fest sponsor RBC: “RBC funds genocide!” The crowd is extremely hostile, shouting back “go away” and booing them.''

The protest lastedfor afew minutes before security escorted protestorsout of the theatres. Canadian PM Justin Trudeau was alsopresent in the hall when the protest took place.

“In an act of solidarity with those fighting to address the climate emergency, as well as end the war in Gaza, and support Indigenous sovereignty, filmmakers and film students disrupted ‘Nutcrackers,'” the protesters later said in a statement, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

UK prosecutors drop Harvey Weinstein indecent assault case

For the unversed, RBC is the festival's official partner. And this is not the first time when RBC's ties with TIFF has caused controversy amid the Israel-Hamas war.

Reacting to the protest, RBC said in a statement, “We respect the right of individuals to make their voices heard, but it’s unfortunate to see activist groups attempting to co-opt this important cultural event. Protestors targeting corporate sponsors are shifting attention from the work of artists and weakening support for essential arts and cultural programs."

No official statement has been released by TIFF.