Javier Bardem got straight to the point at the 98th Academy Awards.
Before presenting the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, Javier Bardem uttered six words: “No to war and free Palestine.”
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It was the most overtly political statement made at this Oscars ceremony so far, one that began on the red carpet for Bardem.
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Bardem is sporting two notable pins: A large panel with bloody text reading “No a la guerra” (Spanish for “no to war”), and a circular pin reading “Palestine,” along with the image of young boy, Handala, a character created in 1969 by cartoonist Naji al-Ali who has become a symbol of Palestinian resistance.
On the red carpet, Bardem told the Associated Press that the “No a la guerra” pin is the same one he wore to the Oscars in 2003 to protest “the illegal Iraq war.”
“[The Oscars] is a great opportunity to say things like ‘no to war, no to this illegal war that [is] creating so many deaths,'” he said.
