Protestors descended on Gal Gadot’s Walk of Fame event on Tuesday, prompting a police response on Hollywood Boulevard.
The crowd outside the ceremony for the Snow White star to accept her star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame was disrupted by pro-Palestinian protestors and Israeli counterprotestors, according to Variety.
Gadot, who grew up in Israel and spent two years serving in the Israeli Defense Forces, has been outspoken about supporting her home country amid the Israel-Hamas War. A pro-Palestinian protestor told the site they were protesting the star’s honor because she’s “keeping her head in the sand” about the war. A counterprotestor added that Israelis “don’t start war, we don’t want war at all.”
The scene, during which picketers held signs that read “Heros Fight Like Palestinians,” “Viva Viva Palestina” and “No Other Land Won Oscar,” according to the site, included over a dozen protestors on each side. After an Israeli flag was snatched away by a pro-Palestinian protestor, police arrived to the scene. Gadot’s ceremony was delayed 15 minutes, and even after it began, the protestors could be heard from outside the tented event throughout her ceremony and remarks.
Ignoring the commotion, Gadot thanked Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins, whose film she said made her a real “actress,” and Fast & Furious star Vin Diesel for “taking a chance on a complete unknown,” in her 2009 debut film role in the franchise. Gadot described herself as “just a girl from a town in Israel,” and told attendees, “This star will remind me that with hard work and passion and some faith, anything is possible.”
The controversy the star attracted by speaking out in support of Israel’s role in the ongoing war, whether through social media or during her remarks earlier this month at the Anti-Defamation League’s March annual summit, has only added to the pile of controversies surrounding her upcoming film Snow White.
Having already weathered backlash for casting a non-white actress in the titular role, and accusations of “wokeness,” the film’s star Rachel Zegler spoke out against Donald Trump following his election in November (and promptly apologized). In response, the two stars have been mostly sheltered from any further bad press.
In lieu of inviting dozens of media outlets to its premiere, Disney opted to limit its exposure to photographers and a house crew. And while early reviews have been mostly positive, reports emerged that the company had “zero faith” in the financial success of the film.
