Olivia Colman among 1,300 artist to sign letter supporting Barrera (Image via Instagram/@letterslive, @melissamarreram)
In the wake of Melissa Barrera being fired from Scream VII and other acts of censoring voices from speaking about Palestine, over 1,300 actors and artists, including British actress Olivia Colman, signed a letter in support, condemning her firing as "censorship." On Thursday, November 30, 2023, Artist for Palestine, UK, published a letter urging the industry to:
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"Uphold the right to freedom of expression and to uphold their commitment to anti-discrimination"
The letter focused on the broader "silencing and stigmatizing" of those who spoke up in support of Palestinian civilians in the ongoing Israel-Palestine war, especially in the UK.
Barrera's sacking was one such incident highlighted in the letter. The In The Heights actress frequently shared social media posts about the conflict, calling for a ceasefire. On November 21, Spyglass fired Barrera for writing:
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"Gaza is currently being treated like a concentration camp. Cornering everyone together, with nowhere to go, no electricity no water... people are silently watching it happen. THIS IS GENOCIDE & ETHNIC CLEANSING"
Internet users were delighted to hear about Olivia Colman and others speaking up, calling them "celebrities with a backbone."
A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/ @whoisitbad)
Netizens commend Olivia Colman for supporting Melissa Barrera and censorship in the industry
With many celebrities facing lasting consequences for speaking up in support of Palestine, social media users rejoiced when a big-name star like Olivia Colman spoke up against the censorship. They praised the The Lost Daughter actress, calling her a GOAT (Greatest Of All Time).
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The censorship included "targeting and threatening livelihoods" and "canceling performances, screenings, talks, exhibitions, and book launches" of those who expressed solidarity with Palestinians. Other than Barrera, Chinese artist Ai Weiwei’s London exhibition, too, was canceled after he expressed his views on the war.
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In addition to "freedom of expression," the letter called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, stating that:
"To actively silence the principled artists and workers who do fulfil this responsibility is a failure to meet legal obligations on freedom of expression and anti-discrimination."
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Apart from Olivia Colman, celebrities like Harriet Walter from Succession and Aimee Lou Wood from S*x Education, signed the letter.
Melissa Barrera and Olivia Colman had not commented on the development at the time of writing this article.
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About the author
Nirali Sheth
Nirali has been a popular culture writer at Sportskeeda for the past 1.5 years, covering celebrity/influencer trends and profile/histories, political news, crime reports, and lifestyle. She completed her Bachelor's in Architecture from University of Mumbai and Masters in Heritage Conservation from University of Southern California. Professionally, Nirali has a strong 7.5-year experience working as an architect, an Assistant Archivist and a Digital Archivist across three companies.
Nirali’s educational qualifications and unique career trajectory put great emphasis on research and writing, which along with her personal interest in popular culture, led her to the current role at Sportskeeda. Her specialties are researching histories, crime stories, and developing general knowledge pieces.
The most crucial step in Nirali’s reporting is rigorous fact-checking, and she relies on information from primary sources only for her news. In the absence of a primary source, Nirali double, and even triple-checks information from multiple sources before presenting them to her readers. Strictly anti-AI, she believes in giving credits wherever necessary.
Nirali’s favorite celebrities are Mark Ruffalo and Dolly Parton, and she admires them for their support of humanity and advocacy for what is right. An avid reader, Nirali can be found nose-deep in a new book when she is away from her keyboard. Nirali also loves to illustrate in her free time.
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