Lebanese actor Manal Issa held a sign that read “Stop the Attack on Gaza” at the premiere of “Solo: A Star Wars Story” at the Cannes film Festival on Tuesday.
Palestinians on Tuesday marked the Nakba, or “disaster”, in the memory of more than 700,000 Palestinians who escaped or were expelled in the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation. More than 60 Gazans were shot by Israeli snipers,tear gas and gun fires, informed Gaza’s Health Ministry. The Ministry informed that the toll included a baby who died from tear gas inhalation along with eight children under the age of 16. At least 2,400 others were wounded in the bloodiest day in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since the 2014 Gaza war. Palestinian authorities called a massacre of protesters on the day the United States opened its embassy in contested Jerusalem.
Hollywood actor Benicio del Toro also joined Palestinians at the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday in a demonstration against the Israeli army’s killing of Palestinians on the Gaza border.
As she walks the red carpet for “Solo”, French-Lebanese #actress Manal Issa holds a sign reading “Stop the Attack on #Gaza” as she walks the famous red carpet, in #Cannes, during 71st edition of the Cannes #Film #Festival in Cannes. #France #Palestine #Cannes2018 #Film #cinema pic.twitter.com/3PAMRWCZcg
— Ammar ABD RABBO (@AmmarParis) May 16, 2018
In Cannes, southern France, dozens of people stood in a circle and held hands outside the Palestinian pavilion.
Palestinian film producer and director, May Odeh said, “It’s really crazy to be here with the films, with the filmmakers, talking about our future plans while our kids and families are suffering from the Israeli attack on them,”
It is the first year that the Palestinians have their own pavilion at the Cannes festival where many countries have a presence to promote their movie industries.