On the second public day of Art Basel Miami Beach, a coalition of Miami-based advocacy groups protested outside the Miami Beach Convention Center, urging attendees to boycott the high-profile art fair. They urged the city of Miami and Miami-Dade County to withdraw their large investments in Israel bonds because of their opposition to policies contributing to the violence in Gaza.
The protest, organized by four advocacy groups including the South Florida chapter of Justice for Palestine and the Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), was described as an extension of the wider “Break the Bonds” effort. Palm Beach County alone, as of late 2023, has an investment of more than $700 million in Israel bonds, while Miami-Dade County, one of the largest municipalities in the country, has roughly $76 million. Miami Beach itself increased its Israel bond investments to $20 million last year.
Cristina Rivera, an artist and technologist, noted the use of Art Basel as a platform to raise awareness of the situation in Gaza. “On an international stage, the fair’s prominence provides an opportunity to amplify these concerns,” Rivera said to ARTnews. The 50-foot banner at the protest, which said “Let Palestine Live,” was designed by Rivera, who was joined by 13 queer artists/designers in its creation with help from the Miami-based designer Chromat. The banner, which was meant to be visible from above, had also been shown at a similar protest last year at Art Basel Miami Beach.
Hayley Margolis, an activist with JVP, said she hoped that the demonstration would challenge public complacency about the violence in Gaza. “Business should not be as usual at a fair as respectable as Art Basel,” Margolis said.
The protest, attended by 30 to 50 people, was deliberately planned so no one would be arrested. Legal teams and observers were among the organizers to ensure a peaceful demonstration. But tensions flared by early afternoon as police presence ramped up, with around 10 officers dispatched to observe the area. After police threatened arrests, activists were eventually confined to a designated free speech zone across the street from the convention center. Last year’s protest led to two arrests, according to Rivera, who claimed that one of the detained was singled out for wearing a hijab — details unconfirmed by ARTnews.
Along with the demonstration, organizers announced a Change. org, demanding that attendees boycott Art Basel Miami Beach until the city and county stop investing in Israel bonds. The petition had received 57 signatures by 5 p.m. on the day of the protest.
Now in its 22nd edition, Art Basel Miami Beach is among the city’s most lucrative tourist draws, with an estimated $400 million to $500 million in annual revenue during Miami Art Week. Protesters said their aims are to make those participating in and attending the fair reflect on their roles in pushing for the policies that set in motion the violence in the Middle East. And yet, the event is an opportunity for early activists to make their voices heard, and they have no plans to be deterred by the financial importance of the event.
Published in Art News
Feature Image: Protesters installed a banner reading “Let Palestine Live” in front of Art Basel Miami| Courtesy: Valentina Di Liscia/Hyperallergic)
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