Little red buttons have been appearing on red carpet outfits at a variety of recent awards events. Perhaps most notably, all three members of the band Boygenius wore them when they picked up three recent Grammy Awards. And “Bottoms” filmmaker Emma Seligman wore one to the Spirit Awards.
The buttons represent the group Artists4Ceasefire, which, just weeks after the attack by Hamas militants on Israel on October 7 that sparked the current conflict in the region, had published an open letter signed by hundreds of celebrities calling for a peaceful resolution.
The open letter to President Biden begins: “We come together as artists and advocates, but more importantly as human beings witnessing the devastating loss of life and horrors unfolding in Israel and Palestine.”
The letter continues: “We urge your administration, Congress, and all world leaders to honor all lives in the Holy Land and call for and facilitate a ceasefire without delay: an end to the bombing of Gaza and the safe release of hostages. Half of Gaza's two million residents are children, and more than two-thirds are refugees and their descendants forced to flee their homes. Humanitarian aid must be allowed to reach them.”
It concludes: “Beyond our pain and mourning for all the people there and their loved ones around the world, we are motivated by an unwavering will to defend our common humanity. We stand for freedom, justice, dignity and peace for all people, and a deep desire to stop further bloodshed. “We refuse to tell future generations the story of our silence, of standing by and doing nothing.”
Director Emma Seligman arrives at the Film Independent Spirit Awards in February.
(Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Current Oscar nominees American Ferrera, Bradley Cooper, Lily Gladstone and Mark Ruffalo signed the open letter, along with other notable names such as Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck, Quinta Brunson, Joaquin Phoenix, Ryan Coogler, Dua Lipa, Jessica Chastain, Florence Pugh and Kirsten. Dunst, Jordan Peele, Lupita Nyong'o, Cate Blanchett, Mahershala Ali, Rachel McAdams, Jenna Ortega and Patti Smith.
Last month's Spirit Awards were interrupted by an audible pro-Palestinian protest outside the Santa Monica venue, prompting the show's host Aidy Bryant and some presenters and winners to address the conflict from the podium.
