▁" it ▁is ▁clear ▁that ▁the ▁script ▁[ the ▁protest ers ] ▁are ▁reading ▁from ▁might ▁as ▁well ▁have ▁been ▁written ▁by ▁Ham as ." ▁ ▁Patrick ▁Gold stein , ▁writing ▁in ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times , ▁wrote ▁against ▁the ▁protest ▁and ▁made ▁an ▁anal ogy ▁to ▁actions ▁by ▁music ian ▁Paul ▁Simon : ▁" At ▁the ▁height ▁of ▁apart heid ▁in ▁South ▁Africa , ▁Paul ▁Simon ▁made ▁" G rac eland ", ▁an ▁album ▁of ▁gl orious ▁music ▁with ▁South ▁African ▁mus icians . ▁He ▁was ▁critic ized ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁for ▁breaking ▁a ▁world wide ▁cultural ▁boy c ott , ▁but ▁Simon ▁believed ▁that ▁expos ing ▁the ▁mus icians ' ▁g ifts ▁to ▁the ▁world ▁far ▁out we ighed ▁any ▁t ac it ▁end ors ement ▁his ▁use ▁of ▁South ▁African ▁mus icians ▁would ▁have ▁provided ▁for ▁the ▁country ' s ▁repr ess ive ▁regime . ▁ ▁History ▁long ▁ago ▁proved ▁him ▁right . ▁The ▁same ▁open ness ▁should ▁apply ▁to ▁a ▁film ▁festival ." ▁ ▁In ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁protest , ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁Hollywood ▁stars ▁circul ated ▁a ▁counter - pro test ▁letter ▁on ▁September ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁ ▁This ▁letter , ▁ ▁which ▁appeared ▁simultaneously ▁in ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times ▁and ▁the ▁Toronto ▁Star , ▁included ▁sign ator ies ▁Jerry ▁Se inf eld , ▁Sach a ▁Baron ▁C ohen , ▁Natal ie ▁Port man , ▁Jason ▁Alexander , ▁Lisa ▁K ud row , ▁Len ny ▁K rav itz , ▁Pat ric