There’s more to the 96th Academy Awards than the glitz and glamour. While posing for the press at the red carpet, a lot of Hollywood stars wore red pins on their outfits, which garnered eyeballs and attention, and it has to do something with the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
They were the “Artists4Ceasefire” pins to call for a ceasefire amid the war. The celebrities, through red pins adorning their clothes, advocated for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in a bid to send out a loud and clear message for peace in the Gaza conflict.
Among the prominent celebrities who showed up on the red carpet wearing small red pins were Billie Eilish, Finneas, Mark Ruffalo, Ava DuVernay, and Ramy Youssef. A closer look at these pink shows the silhouette of a hand with a black heart at the palm.
During an interview with Variety, Poor Things’ actor Ramy Youssef explained what these pins signify. He said, “We’re all calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. We’re calling for the safety of everyone involved. We want lasting justice and peace for the Palestinian people. We just want to say, ‘Let’s stop killing children. There’s so much there to process and it feels like the easiest way to have the conversations that people want to have is when they’re isn’t an active bombing campaign happening.”
Artists4Ceasefire, in a news release, said, ‘‘The pin symbolizes collective support for an immediate and permanent cease-fire, the release of all of the hostages and for the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.”
Ahead of the award ceremony in the Dolby Theatre, several protestors took to the streets of Hollywood to call for immediate action. They even disrupted traffic outside the theatre in support of Palestine.