“Let’s stop killing kids” in Palestine: At Oscars, celebs wear pins to call for a ceasefire

Several celebrities, including director Ava DuVernay and “Poor Things” star Ramy Youssef, donned red pins in support of Artists for Ceasefire at the Oscars red carpet on Sunday.

“We’re calling for [an] immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza. We’re calling for peace and lasting justice for the people of Palestine,” Youssef told Variety‘s Marc Malkin on the red carpet. “It’s a universal message of, ‘Let’s stop killing kids. Let’s not be part of more war.’ No one has ever looked back at war and thought a bombing campaign was a good idea. To be surrounded by so many artists who are willing to lend their voices, the list is growing. A lot of people are going to be wearing these pins tonight. There’s a lot of talking heads on the news. This is a space of talking hearts. We’re trying to have this big beam to humanity.”

Also spotted wearing the Artists for Ceasefire pins were “Poor Things” star Mark Ruffalo; “Nimona” actor Eugene Lee Yang; “What Was I Made For?” singer Billie Eilish; director Misan Harriman, whose film “The After” is nominated for best live action short; and writer-director Kaouther Ben Hania, who is behind best documentary feature nominee “Four Daughters.” Milo Machado-Graner and Swann Arlaud, stars of Justine Triet’s best picture nominee “Anatomy of a Fall,” were also seen sporting pins displaying Palestine’s flag.

In October, a group of 400 artists penned a letter to Joe Biden, urging the President to demand a permanent ceasefire in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Notable signees included Youssef, Ruffalo, Joaquin Phoenix, Cate Blanchett, Jon Stewart, Kristen Stewart, Susan Sarandon, Mahershala Ali, Riz Ahmed, Quinta Brunson and more.

In anticipation of the Oscars, thousands of Pro-Palestinian protesters assembled on Sunset Boulevard before marching towards Dolby Theatre, where the award show would take place. They waved Palestinian flags and chanted, “Free, Free Palestine,” and “Long Live Palestine.”