This year’s Oscars provided Pro-Palestinian demonstrators a platform to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Nearly 1,000 protesters gathered around Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre, the annual host for the Oscars, to push for Palestinian liberation. Road blockages and overfilled sideways led the Dolby Theatre ceremony to start about six minutes past its scheduled start time of 4 p.m.
Viewership for the Oscars has plummeted since 2014, though this year saw a miniscule spike with “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” fans tuning in. The time of the event was moved an hour earlier to gather more viewers, but the combined draw from a-list celebrities and earlier start times only raised viewership this year by 4%.
The last few celebrities trying to make their way to the event became stuck in traffic, some having to walk several blocks to the theatre. American actor Mark Ruffalo entered the event hurriedly wearing a Call for Ceasefire Now pin, a button many Oscars attendees wore to show their support for Palestine.
“The Palestinian protest shut down the Oscars tonight,” Ruffalo said with a raised fist while walking into the event. “Humanity wins!”
Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have been held at more events than just the Oscars. Sundance and the Film Independent Spirit Awards both saw groups calling attention to the war, and Texas’ South by Southwest music festival has lost over 80 acts due to its military funding and association with the defense industry.
The violence displayed in the Israel-Hamas war has not ceased since it began in October of 2023. Most humanitarian aid and international support for Palestinians has been blocked by Israel to weaken the West Strip and Gaza. Israel recently asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to ignore South Africa’s request to send aid to remedy Gaza’s famine.
Protestors outside of the Oscars said they wouldn’t be distracted by big entertainment and hoped more people would focus on Palestinians. Israeli forces have abducted, tortured and killed several Palestinian journalists and destroyed broadcasting vehicles to keep opposition to Israel suppressed. Support from big-name celebrities draws attention to Palestinian cause and speaks out against Israel though.
Jonathan Glazer, an English-Jewish screenwriter who directed “The Zone of Interest”, gave a powerful speech when accepting an Oscar for Best International Film.
“Our film shows where dehumanization leads at its worst,” Glazer said during his speech. “It’s shaped all of our past and present. Right now, we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people. Whether the victims of October the 7th in Israel or the ongoing attack on Gaza, all the victims of this dehumanization, how do we resist?”
While Glazer’s speech was criticized by his producer, it received an explosion of applause at the Oscars. He dedicated his win to Alexandria, a woman who hid food for Auschwitz prisoners during the Polish resistance, since she had a character based on her in the film.
Glazer and Ruffalo’s stances display support for Palestinians and provide the group with exposure not often allowed by Israel and other countries. Palestine and its supporters will not be silenced or stop their efforts, a fact they have displayed time and time again.
