Javier Bardem cries ‘Free Palestine’ on stage at Oscars as viewers beg stars to ‘leave politics out of it’
Actor Javier Bardem joined the list of Hollywood stars who couldn’t resist turning the awards ceremony political by shouting Free Palestine on stage at the Oscars.
The 57-year-old said as he was about to present the award for Best International Film: ‘No War and Free Palestine’.
The Spaniard was wearing a badge on his suit that read “no a la guerra”, Spanish for “no war”, as well as a free Palestinian badge.
He told The Hollywood Reporter on the red carpet: ‘Here we are 23 years later with an extralegal war that Trump and Netanyahu created with another lie to bring down the regime.
‘They are radicalizing the regime with their terrible actions, that is not the reason. And also the symbolism of resistance in Palestine.’
Bardem wasn’t the only one joined by a host of celebrities who made political statements as the 98th Academy Awards kicked off.
As stars began making their way down the red carpet, activist Glennon Doyle showed off a black bag with the words ‘fuck ICE’ written on it.
His wife, Abby Wambach, a former football player, stood next to him wearing a pin that read ICE OUT, which Doyle also wore on her dress.
The 57-year-old said as he was about to present the award for Best International Film: ‘No War and Free Palestine’
Glennon Doyle (right) with her husband Abby Wambach on the Oscars red carpet. She showed her a black handbag with the politically charged phrase f*** ICE on it.
British actress Charithra Chandran also wore a red badge calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza war
Glennon Doyle’s clutch is seen here and features a political message
Singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles was also seen wearing the same brooch, along with costume designer Malgosia Turzanska.
Others wore a badge belonging to Artists4Ceasefire, a political collective calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza war.
British actress Charithra Chandran spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about her decision to wear the pin.
‘What we demand is a ceasefire in Gaza. “I think I’m very lucky to have a platform and this is the least I can do to use it,” he said.
‘Sometimes the news cycle happens so fast that people move on, but people in Gaza and the West Bank are still suffering.’
Chandran was seen wearing the badge during the interview, but it was not on his dress when he posed for portraits.
Javier Bardem was wearing a free Palestinian badge along with a badge he wore during the Iraq war in 2003 that read ‘no a la guerra’, Spanish for ‘no war’.
He told The Hollywood Reporter: ‘Here we are 23 years later with an extralegal war that Trump and Netanyahu created with yet another lie to defeat the regime.
‘They are radicalizing the regime with their terrible actions, that is not the reason. And also the symbolism of resistance in Palestine.’
Actress Saja Kilani, who starred in The Voice of Hind Rajab, which is about the murder of a six-year-old Palestinian girl, was also seen wearing a red badge next to her co-star Amer Hlehel.
he said Deadline: ‘There is no ceasefire right now, there are bombings today. Destruction and displacement all over the world.
‘Palestine, Lebanon, Iran and Venezuela, everywhere. ‘This is a request for a permanent ceasefire.’
Fellow actor Israeli actress Clara Khoury added: ‘This is happening in the US, ICE. What’s going on in America, what’s going on with ICE is all interconnected.
‘We are all the same, we are all human and hate is a cancer.
‘People must open their hearts, our governments must accept each other and be held accountable for the atrocities they commit everywhere.’
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Should Hollywood stars use the Oscars stage to highlight global conflicts and political causes?
Saja Kilani is seen here wearing her black dress with the label Artists4Ceasefire
Kilani, seen here with Clara Khoury, addressed the war in Gaza, the ongoing situation in Iran and ICE in an interview Sunday night. Amer Hlehel is also seen wearing a badge between the two
Singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles is seen here left wearing an ICE out badge on the red carpet
Tight security measures were taken for the ceremony due to concerns about a possible retaliatory attack by Iran on the United States.
While host Conan O’Brien talked about increased security in his opening monologue, he also sarcastically said that all was well with the world, despite conflicts around the world.
Similar pins were seen at the Golden Globes earlier this year, where Mark Ruffalo and other celebrities honored the memory of Renee Good, who was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.
The Sinners is predicted to sweep the night with a record-breaking 16 nominations, followed by One Battle After Another, for which Leonardo DiCaprio is nominated for Best Actor.
Some of the awards will be presented by stars such as Nicole Kidman, Pedro Pascal, Rose Byrne, Delroy Lindo and Jimmy Kimmel.
Tight security measures were taken for the ceremony due to concerns about a possible retaliatory attack by Iran on the United States.
While officials emphasize that they do not have direct intelligence regarding a specific threat, precautions are being taken.
The LAPD confirmed that approximately 1,000 private security guards will be on duty at the demonstration.
