Spirit Awards disrupted by Israel-Hamas war protest; 'ceasefire' and 'free Palestine' chants heard during show - WATCH

In a first this awards season, the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards was charged with tension as protests against the Israel-Hamas war echoed throughout the ceremony on Sunday afternoon.

According to reports, a group of protestors gathered outside the award show venue on the Santa Monica beach area, broadcasting calls for a "free Palestine" and appeals for a "ceasefire" through a megaphone. These chants echoed inside the tent where the awards ceremony was underway, disrupting the proceedings and creating audible disturbances during presentations and award speeches.

In a series of viral vides, the chants were clearly audible while actors and directors arrived on stage for their winning speeches.



Notably, filmmaker Babak Jalali, accepting the John Cassavetes Award, took a moment to express solidarity with the demonstrators. Videos doing the rounds on X saw filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania who won the Spirit Awards for best documentary for 'Four Daughters' come outside and record the protest on her phone in a show of support.



Efforts were reportedly made to block the sound from reaching inside the venue by parking buses between the protestors and the tent. While the winners at the show seemingly made no refference to the chants, host Aidy Bryant acknowledged the protests during the ceremony, affirming the right to freedom of speech amid the disruption.


Earlier in the day, creator Boots Riley had called out Hollywood for its perceived silence on the situation in Gaza during red carpet interviews.