The 96th Academy Awards took place on Sunday and while Hollywood’s most glamorous night was underway, some celebrities and activists still stood in solidarity with Gaza, remembering the plight of Palestine.
This year, attendees of Hollywood’s biggest night wore a variety of pins to make statements – from calling for a ceasefire in Gaza to protecting trans children and fighting for pay equity in the entertainment industry.
The ceasefire pins were emblematic of an open letter written to US President Joe Biden calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. The letter has been signed by hundreds of artists, however, only a few were seen wearing the pin.
British director Jonathan Glazer condemned the Israeli occupation of Gaza after winning the Best International Feature Film award for The Zone of Interest — which follows the story of a Nazi camp commandant who lives next to the Auschwitz concentration camp.
The Poor Things actor Ramy Youssef, who has consistently vocalized his support for Gaza, said that artists with the red Artists for Ceasefire pin were calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as well as peace and lasting justice for the people of Palestine.
“It’s a universal message of just let’s stop killing kids. Let’s not be part of more war. No one’s ever looked back at war and thought a bombing campaign was a good idea,” he said.
Reuters reported that as stars began arriving to walk the red carpet, hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters angered by Israeli aggression in Gaza shouted and slowed traffic in the blocks surrounding the Dolby Theatre, where the Oscars are held.
Hundreds of protesters shut down a major section of Hollywood during the Oscars red carpet, turning Hollywood’s biggest night into a traffic nightmare. Just a few minutes ahead of the telecast’s scheduled start time, much of the ballroom was uncharacteristically empty and people were running to their seats.
