Amidst glitz and glamour, Cannes red carpet sees unique protests by women

In the midst of all celebration, the Cannes venue saw unique protests that could well attract global attention

It has been filmy glory at Cannes, and this time around too there wasn’t any difference. Stars descended on the red carpet from many a tinsel town in various corners of the world. Many a film was screened to much adulation and film makers partook of the limelight showered on them.

Meanwhile, in the midst of all celebration the Cannes venue saw unique protests that could well attract global attention in the days to come. As the Iranian film, Holy Spider, premiered, just outside the venue a bunch of women came together to stage a protest. They chose to assemble in anger right on the famed red carpet, and called upon the world to end violence against women.

Holy Spider, incidentally, is an Iranian flick that narrated the true story of Saeed Hanaei who had killed 16 women in 2000 and 2001. He had then stated that he had murdered the women, who according to him were prostitutes corrupting men around. According to him, the murders were done for the sake of God and to protect his religion. The film also tells the tale of a woman who tracks down Hanaei.

Cannes red carpet venue for protests

The protesters unfurled a banner that proclaimed to the world their agony at the violence unleashed on women. Besides shouting slogans, they also set off smoke flares, punched the air and held their banner aloft for the world to see. And, on the banner was inscribed the names of as many as 129 women they said were murdered in France since the last festival at Cannes.

Significantly, the protests had followed another that was organised on the red carpet on Friday last. The protests were against sexual violence. Friday’s protests came parallel to the screening of Three Thousand Years of Longing.

Protest against sexual violence

A woman protester even went to the extent of stripping herself to show the world a message that read, “stop raping us” on her body. The words were painted on her naked body next to the colours of the Ukraine flag. She had also smeared red paint on her underwear as she walked the red carpet in protest against sexual violence.

The two protests had everything to catch the attention of the world media, and they are being discussed on various platforms. Cannes which hosts major flicks such as Tom Cruise’s Top Gun sequel and Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis Presley biopic and more, has received added attention with the protests against violence against women being taken out. The red carpet proved to the perfect podium as the protesters had known that protests at Cannes can never be ignored by the world.