More on Monday’s New York Film Festival premiere of “Dogma,” after yesterday’s PEOPLE Daily report on the protest staged by some outraged Catholics over the film’s satirical take on death: “These people haven’t even seen the film yet,” the film’s co-star Matt Damon told PEOPLE as demonstrators shouted at him (and, in one case, thrust rosary beads at him). “I’m all for protests, but I think you have to see (the film) to know what you’re talking about. But I defend anybody’s right to protest.” An agitated-looking Ben Affleck, who costars in the movie, acted surly at the premiere and refused to speak to the press. He attended the festivities with his mother.

When Kevin Smith’s highly irreverent new film Dogma opened in New York Monday night, it drew critical acclaim as well as vehement protests from about 1,500 people gathered outside the Lincoln Center. The protestors were led by New York’s Auxiliary Bishop Francisco Garmendia, standing in for Cardinal John O’ Conner, and were bolstered by a pan of the film from Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. Smith noted, “We thought we were going to have to battle the Catholics, not the mayor.” But Ben Affleck, who stars in the film, joked about being late for the premiere. “Sorry it took so long. We stopped to pray with the protesters.”