The Oscars is one of the most watched TV events of the entire year and so it has become an annual tradition that celebrities will use those eyes to make political statements.
In the past the Oscars was where the #MeToo movement was supercharged by filmmakers and actors wearing ‘Time’s Up’ pins to the Oscars in 2018.
Earlier this year several high-profile names also wore pins for the Golden Globes saying ‘ICE Out’ and ‘Be Good’ criticising the US immigration agency following several high profile shootings.
At this year’s Oscars though viewers may notice several celebrities wearing red pins with a white dove on them.
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This is the official pin of Artists4Ceasefire, a group of over 500 actors and creatives who signed a statement calling for a permanent ceasefire in Palestine amid the ongoing genocide by Israel.
Who are Artists4Ceasefire and what have they said about their pin?
Artists4Ceasefire is a collective of artists across music and film who have called for a permanent ceasefire in Israel and Palestine, the release of all hostages, and urgent humanitarian aid to civilians.
The collective is made up of some of the biggest names of the world, with the filmmaking section represented by household names such as Ben Affleck, Pedro Pascal, Florence Pugh, Jennifer Lopez, Andrew Garfield, and Bradley Cooper.
Some of the world’s biggest musicians have also put their name to the collective, Billie Eilish, Zayn Malik, Ariana Grande, and Dua Lipa all having signed.
The team behind The Voice of Hind Rajab, which is nominated for an Oscar tonight, explained the pin on the Oscars red carpet, also addressing a heartbreaking situation related to the film.
The Voice of Hind Rajab star Motaz Malhees is barred from attending the Oscars tonight
The Voice of Hind Rajab is a film about a real-life six-year-old girl who became trapped in a car in Gaza after an attack from an Israeli tank.
Hind Rajab died along with six of her family members and two paramedics trying to help save her.
Speaking to Deadline, star of the film Saja Kilani said: “This pin is a collaboration with an artist Shepard Fairey, it’s Artists4Ceasefire and we’re demanding a permanent ceasefire.
“There is no ceasefire happening right now, there are bombings happening to this day, destruction, displacements all over the world in Palestine, Lebanon, Iran, Venezuela.”
Fellow star of the film Amer Hlehel added however that it was bittersweet due to the fact that Motaz Malhees was unable to attend the night.
He said: “I want to add that we feel very thrilled, almost very thrilled to be here, because we miss something very important.
“The fourth actor, our lead man…He was banned from entering the USA and can’t attend the Oscars.”
Malhees posted online confirming that he could not enter the USA due to his Palestinian citizenship and Trump’s ongoing travel ban.
He said in a post on Instagram: “You can block a passport. You cannot block a voice.”
Topics: Oscars, Academy Awards, Politics, TV and Film, Celebrity, Palestine
Michael Slavin