As supporters of Palestine were present and vocal during Hollywood’s biggest night of the year, their impact has become massively visible across social media, even impacting the Oscar broadcast itself.
According to the Los Angeles police, protests for Palestine, which took place outside of the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, caused traffic so substantial that several Oscar nominees were allegedly delayed from attending.
As a result, many nominees—such as Lily Gladstone, who was nominated for Best Lead Actress for “Killers of a Flower Moon“—were seen arriving at the venue in golf carts.
Among the attendees was Alana Hadid, sister of Bella and Gigi Hadid.
“I’m here to protest because the Oscars are diverting attention away from Palestine, away from Rafah, away from Gaza,” Hadid said. “And we need to keep our eyes on Gaza right now, 30,000 people have died.”
The protest’s impact was so notable that the Oscars broadcast was delayed by 6 minutes. Originally scheduled to air in Los Angeles at 4pm, an hour earlier than usual, the broadcast did not officially air until 4:06pm.
The protest organizers called for people to have “All eyes on Rafah.” This is a call that became popularized after Israel invaded the city of Rafah during the Superbowl. Many speculated that Israel strategically began their invasion of Rafah that night to decrease media attention, as the Superbowl is highest rated broadcast in the U.S. Similarly, protestors called for people to be vigilant of Israel’s actions during the Oscar ceremony, noting that it was also the first night of Ramadan, a holiday celebrated by a majority of Palestinians.
“This happened during the Super Bowl and it’s happening again,” Jewish Voices for Peace said in a post. “We won’t accept the film industry’s silence, or their punishment of pro-Palestenian voices.
When celebrities did make their way to the Red Carpet, many—such as Ramy Youssef, Phineas, and Billy Eilish—came wearing Arist for Ceasefire pins. Many social media users criticized these figures for not doing enough.
The stars of “Anatomy of a Fall,” Swann Arlaud and 15-year-old Milo Machado Grenier, were seen with flags wearing pins displaying the Palestinian flag. Many users on social media took their example as a chance to criticize the previously mentioned celebrities.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Arlaud said, “Too many dead people since the 7th of October. It has to stop. It’s about humanity. Ceasefire.”
During the official ceremony, the actions of the conflict in Palestine were only addressed once, when Jonathan Glazer accepted his award for Best International Feature Film for “The Zone of Interest.” Notable to his speech, this film is about the Holocaust and Glazer is Jewish, so he took his win as a moment to reflect on these facts within the context of conversations around the Israel/Palestine conflict.
“Right now we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness in a holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people,” Glazer said.
While his words caused controversy across the political spectrum, many celebrated that someone finally used their platform at the Oscars to speak on this topic.
