10 Cannes Film Festival Protests (That Had Nothing To Do With Shoes)
7. When Salma Hayek Protested Against The Kidnapping Of Schoolgirls By Boko Haram
We do not often get to hear the names of terrorist groups like Islamic fundamentalists Boko Haram on the red carpet at Cannes, for very obvious reasons. These reasons may or may not be related to the fact that inhabitants of said red carpet often have their attention taken up by the sartorial choices of their competitors and by the popping of camera flashes. Salma Hayek broke this tradition of keeping things light and merry by whipping out a sign reading Bring Back Our Girls when it was her turn to step out on the red carpet. The sign referred to a mass kidnapping of over 200 schoolgirls from the Nigerian town of Chibok by the afore-mentioned Boko Haram. Uncharacteristically with events that do not touch America or Europe, the revelation gave birth to a storm of global outrage. Celebrities like Ellen de Generes were among the first to use the hashtag #bringbackourgirls. Hayeks Cannes protest sparked a note of sympathy with other celebrities as the whole cast of The Expendables followed suit the next night. However, the incident also served to highlight the fact that stars are often out of touch with everyday reality, as actor Victor Ortiz admitted to fellow cast members that he had no idea what the protest was about Hayeks protest deserves an extra nod of recognition for being the only one that was completely altruistic in the history of Cannes. Protests are usually related to issues that affect VIPs and/or audience directly.
