Quannah Chasinghorse, Billie Eilish, Finneas, Mark Ruffalo, Ava DuVernay, Ramy Youssef, and Ava DuVernay are among the most recent celebrities to don identical red lapel pins while attending the Academy Awards. In addition, actor Mahershala Ali wore one of the badges while assisting in the introduction of the nominees for the Best Supporting Actor award this year, despite not having graced the red carpet. What exactly do they mean?
The brooches, depicting a hand outline encircling a dark heart, advocate for a cessation of hostilities in the Israel-Hamas conflict. According to Palestinian health authorities, this conflict has caused over 30,000 fatalities in Gaza since October. A coalition comprising more than 400 public figures has become members of Artists4Ceasefire, an organization that issued a letter to the United States Congress and President Joe Biden in late October, imploring them to immediately cease hostilities in Gaza and Israel.
Artists4Ceasefire stated in a press release, “The pin represents our collective solidarity in calling for a permanent and immediate cessation of hostilities, the immediate liberation of all hostages, and the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid to the civilian population in Gaza.”
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However, in contrast to other emblematic accessories such as the ceasefire pins, which proliferated at award shows in 2018 to show support for victims of sexual harassment, the Time’s Up movement has only been spotted on a limited number of celebrities on recent red carpets. Boygenius and Annie Lennox deviantly donned the pins to the Grammy Awards this year, with Lennox notably pleading for peace and a cessation of hostilities while onstage.
(Actors Milo Machado-Graner and Swann Arlaud from “Anatomy of a Fall” also donned pins with the Palestinian flag on the red carpet at the Academy Awards.) Youssef, an actor and comedian who costarred in “Poor Things” with Ruffalo and Emma Stone, voiced his dissatisfaction with the lack of progress toward a conflict ending on the Oscars red carpet on Sunday.
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Youssef said to Variety that there was “no other way” to demand a ceasefire. It’s taking a long time. That’s what we’re all urging people to speak up about. America Ferrera, Jennifer Lopez, Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, and Ben Affleck are among the other celebrities who signed the Artists4Ceasefire letter.
Pro-Palestinian Protestors Around Oscars
Additionally, pro-Palestinian protestors congregated in the vicinity of the Dolby Theatre before the Academy Awards. They supported Palestine by waving flags and carrying signs.
CBS Los Angeles reported that event organizers stated their purpose was to “disrupt the Academy Awards” and bring attention to “retaliation against anyone in the film industry who speaks out against Israel’s atrocities and war crimes.”
The Gaza War commenced on October 7, when Hamas militants surged into Israel. Approximately 1,200 individuals perished in the assault. Al-Hamas also captured an estimated 250 individuals. Israel has reported that over 130 individuals are still being held captive in Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry, which is operated by Hamas, reports that the Israeli offensive has claimed the lives of over 30,000 individual Gaza residents.