Oscars 2024: Here's why Hollywood stars wore red pins on red carpet
On the night of the 96th Academy Awards, celebrities Billie Eilish, Finneas O'Connell, Mark Ruffalo, Ava DuVernay, Mahershala Ali and Ramy Youssef showed up on the red carpet wearing red pins.
Several fans wondered what the badges donned by these stars meant after pictures went viral.
The pins were launched by Artists4Ceasefire, an artist collective that penned an open letter to US President Joe Biden calling for an immediate ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, emphasising the human toll of the conflict.
The design shows a red glossy circle with a hand and a black heart. There are more than 380 signatories to the letter which include Cate Blanchett, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Hasan Minhaj and Bradley Cooper.
"We urge your administration, Congress, and all world leaders, to honor all of the lives in the Holy Land and call for and facilitate a ceasefire without delay – an end to the bombing of Gaza, and the safe release of hostages. Half of Gaza's two million residents are children, and more than two-thirds are refugees and their descendants being forced to flee their homes. Humanitarian aid must be allowed to reach them", the letter read.
'Poor Things' actor Ramy Youssef explained to US media that these pins are part of a creatives-led initiative to demand peace in Gaza.
"We’re all calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. We’re calling for the safety of everyone involved," said Youssef.
"We really want lasting justice and peace for the Palestinian people...We really just want to say, ‘let’s just stop killing children'...," added the actor.
Prior to Sunday’s event, the red pins were also seen at the Grammys and the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards in February. During that time as well, Ruffalo was spotted wearing the pin.
“We’re not going to bomb our way to peace, and all we’re saying is, what’s wrong with giving a ceasefire a chance?” Ruffalo said on the DGA red carpet.
Additionally, actors Milo Machado-Graner and Swann Arlaud of 'Anatomy of a Fall' also wore pins featuring the Palestinian flag. Meanwhile, several protesters took to the streets of Hollywood and disrupted traffic outside the Dolby Theatre in support of Palestine.
Director of the chilling Holocaust drama 'The Zone of Interest' Jonathan Glazer also condemned the war in Gaza while accepting the award for best international film.
Glazer said he hopes the film will draw attention to current conflicts in the world. “All our choices are made to reflect and confront us in the present. Not to say, ‘Look what they did then,’ rather 'look what we do now," the filmmaker addressed the audience.