Celebrities at the Oscars, including Billie Eilish, Mark Ruffalo, Riz Ahmed and Ava DuVernay showed up to the 96th Academy Awards, wearing red pins in support of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
The red pins feature an outline of a hand around a black heart, and are by an organization called Artists4Ceasefire whose aim is to lend their voices to amplify the call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and Israel.
The organization, supported by entertainment industry insiders, sent an open letter to Joe Biden in late October 2023, urging him to call for immediate de-escalation and ceasefire in Gaza and Israel.
The awards night also started slightly later than planned, after protesters demanding a ceasefire, blocked traffic outside the venue at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
The protesters shut down traffic flow and delayed stars’ arrival, causing many attendees to get out of their cars and walk to the venue.
Melissa Enoch
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