O Cinema survives mayor's eviction threat over "No Other Land" screenings

The latest: Commissioners seemed poised to reject the proposal 5-2 Wednesday morning before Meiner withdrew the resolution, which would have also suspended about $40,000 in grant funding to O Cinema.

• The mayor also deferred an alternative he proposed: a resolution encouraging O Cinema to show films offering a more "balanced" view of the Gaza war.
• Some commissioners who voted against Meiner's eviction proposal spoke against the dangers of antisemitism and in support of Israel but said the city government should not direct content decisions.
• Commissioner Alex Fernandez said O Cinema has a responsibility to present balanced viewpoints, but "that responsibility should not come from a government mandate. If we start policing artistic content today, where does it stop?"

O Cinema CEO Vivian Marthell told Axios after the measures were withdrawn that she was thankful for the support from the community and commissioners deciding against the theater's eviction.

• "We all understand that this is very delicate, but they prevailed and they realized that it's a free speech issue. We shouldn't be penalized."

The other side: Meiner said he took action because he felt that narratives like those in the film could pose a safety issue for Jews. "We need to be mindful of where hate can go and what it can lead to."

• "It starts with propaganda and dehumanizing people," he added. "And that's why I brought this to the forefront."
• He said he felt there had been a "positive debate" over his proposals.

Ahead of the vote, supporters of O Cinema crowded the City Commission chambers to speak against its proposed eviction. Some heckled and booed Meiner, who shot back that the crowd was censoring him.

• Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and Hialeah Mayor Esteban Bovo called into the meeting to show solidarity with Meiner's concerns. They were both booed and heckled.
• Maor Elbaz-Starinsky, the Consul General of Israel in Miami, called hecklers "antisemites" after they shouted for him to stop speaking beyond his allotted time.

What they're saying: Public speakers at Wednesday's meeting were overwhelmingly opposed to both of Meiner's proposals.

• Jonathan David Kane, a filmmaker and Miami Beach native, said to "shutter [O Cinema's] doors is to deeply wound [Miami's] arts community. I remind you that the world is watching us today, and how we handle this First Amendment issue will reverberate."
• Local filmmaker Alfred Spellman said the city could show its preferred films at cultural spaces it owns, like the Miami Beach Bandshell. "You can simply choose to compete in the free marketplace of ideas."
• Adam Saper, a Miami Beach resident, said Meiner's alternative proposal — urging O Cinema to show films offering a more "balanced" view of the Gaza war — would serve the same purpose as the eviction: to control free speech.
• "This is not about balance, it's about control," Saper said. "Controlling a narrative for a political purpose is quite literally the definition of propaganda."

Between the lines: The ideological divide on the City Commission was exemplified by diverging remarks by commissioners David Suarez and Tanya K. Bhatt.

• Suarez called the film a "megaphone for Hamas terrorist propaganda." Because O Cinema is housed in a city-owned venue, he said, "this isn't about free speech, this is about government policy."
• Bhatt said silencing the theater, which she said has "shown well over 50 pro-Israel films by Jewish filmmakers and is a foundational supporter of the Miami Film Festival," would be "more damaging than anything I can think of."

Catch up quick: Meiner sent O Cinema's CEO a letter March 5 asking her to reconsider showing "No Other Land," which he called an antisemitic "propaganda attack on the Jewish people."

• The critically acclaimed film, which documents the Israeli demolition of Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank for military training grounds, was made by a directorial team of two Israelis and two Palestinians.

O Cinema leadership, which criticized Meiner's proposal as government censorship, originally agreed to suspend screenings but changed its mind, selling out every showing of the film.

• Meiner responded March 11 by introducing legislation to terminate the city's lease with O Cinema, which runs through July 2026.
• There was a chance O Cinema would sue if Meiner's proposal passed Wednesday — and one commissioner mentioned the possibility of a costly lawsuit.
• The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida joined O Cinema's legal team ahead of the vote.

What's next: O Cinema and its legal counsel say they're still concerned about future government interference in its programming.

• Daniel Tilley, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, told Axios multiple commissioners Wednesday "expressed overtly unconstitutional threats against O Cinema merely for showing this film."
• "The fact that they withdrew the resolution today does not mean the threat has gone away."
• Tilley said while Meiner's alternative resolution "purported only to encourage, not dictate," programming decisions, "the bell cannot be unrung and the chill to O Cinema and other cultural institutions who dare to display or express disfavored viewpoints remains."