Pro-Palestine Protesters Momentarily Delayed Oscars
Some unexpected guests showed up at the Oscars this year, briefly delaying the start of the 96th Academy Awards ceremony.
Roughly a thousand protesters pushing for a ceasefire in the ongoing war in Gaza gathered outside the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood holding signs that read, “No awards for genocide,” and “Stand with Palestine.” The protesters blocked traffic, managing to momentarily delay the arrival of some stars. No injuries or arrests had been announced as of Sunday night.
The goal of the protest was to “disrupt” the show and shed led on the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza, according to NBCLA.
The protest was organized by several groups — including Writers Against the War on Gaza LA (WAWOG), Film Workers For Palestine and SAG-AFTRA for Ceasefire — who put out a joint statement, according to KTLA.
“As Hollywood celebrates itself at the Oscars, film and entertainment workers are being silenced with chilling McCarthyite censorship and blacklisting of those who show support for Palestinian freedom and against Israeli genocide, apartheid and occupation,” the statement said. “We applaud the artists who’ve taken career risks by posting, wearing a ceasefire pin, or signing petitions, but we invite them now to up the ante in light of what Palestinians have lost, to use their platforms loudly and push back against an industry that silences dissent, especially against genocide.”
Many Oscars attendees — including singer Billie Eilish, “Poor Things” star Ramy Youssef and director Ava DuVernay — donned red pins on the carpet and inside the theatre to show support for a ceasefire.
Tension between Israel and Gaza has existed for decades, but the ongoing violence began after Hamas militants attacked Israeli concertgoers on Oct. 7, 2023, killing roughly 1,200 people and kidnapping roughly 200 others. Since then, Israel’s invasion has killed at least 30,000 people, injured thousands of others and displaced close to 2 million.
