All those loud protesters screaming genocide in palestine up to two weeks ago are strangely quiet on this.
Ah yes, the ol’ “they’re hypocrites for complaining about a specific problem without also complaining about every other problem”—that’s gotta be on the first page of “The Rulebook for How to Stop Social Movements”.
same goes with many more genocides happening around the world, involving all kinds of people.
It’s almost like if the protests are antisemitism-driven rather than anti-genocide motives.
Curious, don’t you think?
It's third party harassment and they chose to pull out of the festival over it.
"Chen Jinping, 60, of New York, New York, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to act as an illegal agent of the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC),"[2]
The films weren't just pulled - the festival was cancelled.[3]
Sources:
1: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/trnsprnc/brfng-mtrls/prlm...
2: https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/new-york-resident-pl...
3: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/07/indiechina-ind...
I understand this is pressure from China, that they were threatened and that yes this is a horrible situation. All I'm saying is the actual decision to shut down the festival was not (and cannot) be made by China.
I hear you though, clickbait gonna clickbait.
You surpress the 95% of discussion globally, outside of your own borders too, and the issues aren't really issues any more.
Edit: it's about Uyghurs control/genocide/oppression/other description for clarity. There are a lot of articles/stories on the topic if you were after info.
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Chinese Authorities Threaten Mainland Relatives to Shut Down Film Festival in New York
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Even the subheading from the article seemed better: "Chinese Police Harass Filmmakers, Families to Undermine Free Expression Abroad"
Though I would of made it "Filmmaker's Families".
How can you be free if your family is held hostage. As soon as a person from China becomes free or achieves anything, this is what happens.
This is what they do just because of a movie they don't care for. Imagine how much further they go when they have a bigger ask for something they truly want.
The coercion is very strong, and why some end up in jail for spying or other criminal acts in the hosting country, even if they end up citizens, and love the place. Very messed up.
I don’t quite get the distinction being made here. Surely the Chinese authorities have succeeded in scaring the people involved in the festival into calling it off.
But not with Iranian censorship and harassment.
Is anyone surprised China has global influence and Iran does not?
ronsor•3mo ago
This is not the US government shutting down a film festival; this is the Chinese government engaging in an illegal overseas harrassment campaign in order to suppress negative depictions of itself.
gradientsrneat•3mo ago