In light of the recent firings of the growing list of actors, agents and filmmakers, who have predominantly been women of color, we, a broad community of Hollywood workers and supporters, demand an immediate end to the political repression of our industry peers. The First Amendment lies in shreds as Hollywood has begun employing McCarthyist tactics, rather than creating spaces for dialogue among its members. People’s comments and social media posts are being closely monitored and retaliated against without any semblance of due-process or accountability. The culture of fear caused by this mass censorship permeates all corners of the industry, from writers rooms to music studios to film sets. Even beyond Hollywood, this threat of repression pervades workplaces throughout the entire country as many are coerced into watching the atrocities against Palestinians in silence.
We loudly condemn antisemitism, Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian rhetoric, as well as all hate speech and incitement to violence. We reject the notion that advocating for Palestinian rights and peace using language categorized by human rights experts is antisemitic, as is proven by the mass participation of Jewish people in the Palestinian-led, global call for a permanent ceasefire.
We acknowledge that Hollywood has long served as an institution that supports Muslim dehumanization and misrepresentation, rather than stand against it. We honor Hollywood’s victims of the past, many of them Jewish, who, during the McCarthy era of the 1940’s and 1950’s, suffered the most vicious forms of political repression from Hollywood and Congress. This brutal repression was formalized in the Hollywood Blacklist, a “Do Not Hire” list which destroyed the careers of scores of actors, writers, directors, and musicians. The Blacklist today is universally recognized as a vile smear on the reputation of Hollywood, never to be allowed to happen again. And so we will not let it happen again.
As artists we aim to reflect humanity. It is through this humanity that we understand and empathize with the hurt and pain so many are feeling right now, but repression stifles that core mandate. What is art, and who are we as storytellers, if we cannot own a point-of-view? Those who use their platforms to express their sense of humanity must not be repressed, ostracized, or silenced. We therefore call on all our peers to join us in defending everyone’s freedom of speech. We are at a crossroads and we must decide: will we be an industry that plays into the fascist tendencies we see corrupting so many other aspects of American life, or one that honors all voices, perspectives and the right to self expression.
We demand an end to the retaliation against artists for their political speech and beliefs.
We demand all victims of Hollywood Repression be immediately reinstated if they so choose.
We call on all of our industry peers and unions to stand with UE and UFCW Local 3000 as well as Hollywood Workers for Peace in demanding Hollywood 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.
Create safe places for dialogue where Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab stories can be fostered and uplifted.