Matt Damon Is Cool

12/28/1998 at 12:00 AM EST

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.