What Do the Red Pins on the Oscars Red Carpet Mean?

As photos of Hollywood’s A-listers posing on the Oscars red carpet began to circulate on the internet this evening, fans noticed a new addition to the expected luxury accessories: some stars sported tiny red pins. These pins featured the silhouette of a hand with a black heart positioned at the palm. As Poor Things actor Ramy Youssef explained to a Variety reporter, these pins feature the Artists4Ceasefire symbol and are part of a creatives-led initiative to demand peace in Gaza. As of late February, more than 30,000 people have reportedly been killed in the territory since the beginning of the Israel-Palestine war in October 2023, according to a CNN story citing information from the Gazan health ministry. Tens of thousands more have been injured in the ongoing violence.

Youssef told Variety that the pins are meant to encourage “everyone to be vocal” about an “immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza.” He continued: “We’re calling for peace and lasting justice for the people of Palestine. And I think it’s a universal message of just, ‘Let’s stop killing kids. Let’s not be part of more war.’ No one’s ever looked back at war and thought a bombing campaign was a good idea. And so to be surrounded by so many artists who are willing to lend their voice—the list is growing. A lot of people are going to be wearing these pins tonight. And it’s because we want to, kind of, use where we’re at to speak to people’s hearts. There’s a lot of talking heads on the news. This is a space of talking hearts, and so we’re trying to just, kind of, have that big beam to humanity.”

Among those photographed wearing the pin were Youssef himself, Billie Eilish, Finneas, Ava DuVernay, Eugene Lee Yang, Mark Ruffalo, and Kaouther Ben Hania.

When asked if he’s hopeful that there will be a ceasefire, Youssef replied, “Yeah, there has to be. There’s no other route. It’s just it’s taking so long, and, you know, the president has now called for it in his State of the Union; the vice president has, and so I think we need to kind of really look at ourselves and be honest of [sic], “Okay, if the leadership supposedly thinks that should happen, why has it not happened? And so I think that’s what we’re all encouraging everyone to be vocal about.”

You Might Also Like

• The 15 Best Organic And Clean Shampoos For Any And All Hair Types

• 100 Gifts That Are $50 Or Under (And Look Way More Expensive Than They Actually Are)