The 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards was disrupted by a small but vocal protest against the Israel-Hamas war. The protest, which took place outside the ceremony tent in Santa Monica, featured chants of ‘free Palestine’ and ‘ceasefire now,’ which were audible inside the venue and even on the livestream of the event.

Protesters were heard chanting ‘Free, Free Palestine’ and ‘Ceasefire Now’ outside the event, with their chants permeating the venue as awards were being presented. The disruption was evident during the red carpet arrivals as well, causing actor and comedian Jim Gaffigan to struggle to speak over the chants while presenting.

Sources revealed that the chants were clearly audible inside the tent, where the ceremony was taking place, and were also picked up on the livestream of the event. In an attempt to mitigate the disruption, a bus was intentionally placed in front of the protesters to block some of the sounds.

Host Aidy Bryant acknowledged the protests, emphasizing the freedom of speech, while loud music was played to drown out the chants during certain segments of the event. Some award recipients also referenced the protests, with Fremont director Babak Jalali expressing his inspiration from the protesters’ message and Four Daughters filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania reflecting on the grim reality of the ongoing conflict.

The disruption did not go unnoticed, with various figures at the event acknowledging the significance of the protesters’ message amidst the celebratory atmosphere of the awards show.