A protester donning a dress in the colors of the Ukrainian flag mounted a dramatic demonstration on the red carpet of the Cannes Film Festival by smearing herself with artificial blood before being dragged away by security.
At the première of Just Philippot's film 'Acide,' an unidentified young woman smeared herself with a crimson substance in an apparent show of support for the war-torn country.
Woman Pours 'Fake Blood' to Herself at Cannes Film Festival
Per Daily Mail, the woman walked the red carpet alongside A-list celebrities, wearing a blue and yellow floor-length ballgown. She then appeared to reach into her dress, remove a capsule of artificial blood, raise it above her head, and pop it while smiling for the cameras.
During tonight's protest in Cannes, security personnel dragged a demonstrator who was completely covered in artificial blood off the carpet. It has not yet been determined if the startling demonstration was a protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine or why it occurred at the premiere of the French director's film 'Acid'.
A Ukrainian woman mounted a similar protest at last year's film festival when she took to the red carpet to condemn the actions of Vladimir Putin's forces. According to reports, the protester stormed the red carpet fully clothed before removing her clothes to disclose body paint that read "Stop raping us."
She was also covered in Ukrainian flags, and the word "Scum" was inscribed on her back. On the fourth day of the prestigious event, the woman staged her protest during the premiere of George Miller's Three Thousand Years Of Longing.
Before the festival began this week, the director of Cannes, Thierry Frémaux, told the press that the festival stood in solidarity with Ukraine and displayed a Ukrainian flag lapel badge.
In recent months, France has been roiled by protests over pension reforms, but demonstrations have been largely contained at one of the country's most glamorous events, the Cannes Film Festival.
France Protests
Dozens of demonstrators congregated in Cannes on Sunday to oppose the passage of President Emmanuel Macron's government's reforms through the French parliament.
However, these demonstrations occurred far from the festival's central center, the Palais des Festivals, and Cannes' seaside boulevard, the Croisette. Instead, they congregated on the Boulevard Carnot on the outskirts of the city.
Before the festival, local authorities in Cannes prohibited rallies throughout the majority of the city. This action was part of a growing trend in France to prohibit demonstrations in some prominent locations. On June 6, unions have called for a new round of nationwide protests, ABC News reported.
The ban has prevented demonstrations on Cannes' famous red carpet and prevented one of the most divisive issues in France from disrupting the festival's highly orchestrated flow.
The only exception was Friday. Hospital employees circumvented the prohibition by protesting on private property in front of the historic Carlton Hotel, a luxury hotel where many festival guests stay, as per Telegraph.
