Enamel pin worn by supporters of Artists4Ceasefire
| |
| Formation | October 20, 2023; 8 months ago (2023-10-20) |
|---|---|
| Type | Artist collective |
| Purpose | Activism |
| Website | artists4ceasefire |
Artists4Ceasefire is a collective of actors, filmmakers, and other artists calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire during the Israel–Hamas warinGaza, the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians, and the release of all hostages.[1][2][3] The collective was started on October 20, 2023.[4]
In October 2023, 55 artists and entertainment industry members signed an open letter to President Joe Biden as part of the collective demanding a ceasefire.[5][6][7][8] The letter has expanded to include hundreds of artists.[9]
The Artists4Ceasefire enamel pin depicts an orange hand with a black heart inside on a red background. Snopes compared the orange hand used in the design to red-hand symbols including the Red Hand of Ulster (a symbol used for the Irish province of Ulster), the symbol for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW), and people criticizing Israel as having "blood on its hands" for its actions in Gaza.
The Israeli government and New York Post journalist David Kaufman said that the symbol represents the 2000 Ramallah lynching. This was reinforced by former Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy, who said that the pin's design was reminiscent of "perhaps the most iconic image of the Second Intifada".[10] Israeli actress Noa Tishby, who previously served as the Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism and the Delegitimization of Israel, called the pins "a demonstration of Jew-hatred".[11] Arab-Israeli journalist and activist Yoseph Haddad was also critical of the design, saying that the pin "supports the side of a terrorist organization that committed a brutal massacre".[12] Snopes found no evidence that the design referenced the lynching.[13]
Several attendees of the 2024 Academy Awards ceremony wore red Artists4Ceasefire badges, including Quannah Chasinghorse, Finneas O'Connell, Billie Eilish, Mark Ruffalo, Ava DuVernay, Ramy Youssef, Riz Ahmed, Mahershala Ali, Kaouther Ben Hania and Misan Harriman.[14][15][16][17][18] Some attendees also wore Palestinian flag pins, including Milo Machado-Graner and Swann Arlaud.[19] In an interview at the event, Youssef said:[4]
We are all calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. We are calling for the safety of everyone involved and we really want lasting justice and peace for the Palestinian people.
At the 2024 Grammy Awards, musician Annie Lennox finished her tribute to Sinéad O'Connor by saying, "Artists for ceasefire, peace in the world".[20] The members of Boygenius (Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker) and Bo Burnham also wore Artists4Ceasefire pins.[21][22]
Tony Shalhoub and Ebon Moss-Bachrach wore the pins at the 2024 Screen Actors Guild Awards.[22]
At the Directors Guild of America Awards in February 2024, Ruffalo wore the pin and said: "We’re not going to bomb our way to peace".[23]
On October 27, 2023, Oxfam US declared its support for the collective via posts and stories on its Instagram account.[24] On November 6, 2023, ActionAid USA released a statement of its support for the collective.[25]
