The Met Gala, often dubbed as the biggest night in fashion, took place in New York City on Monday, 6 May. The yearly event, hosted by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, is a parade of Hollywood A-listers showcasing avant-garde fashion, which raises a mammoth fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute.
However, this year's event was met with huge backlash from netizens due to the worsening situation in Rafah, the southern city of Gaza.
'Met Gala Massacre': Netizens Slam Biggest Fashion Night As Israel Invades Rafah
1. What Is Happening in Rafah?
On 6 May, the day of the Met Gala, Israel called on millions of Palestinians to evacuate eastern Rafah, where they were taking refuge, increasing global alarm of the consequences of an Israeli ground invasion of the city.
The Israel Defense Forces had also announced on Monday that they have begun "conducting targeted strikes against Hamas terror targets in eastern Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip."
Condemning the order, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also stated that it would be "impossible to carry out safely."
Yet on Tuesday, 7 May, the Israeli military continued to move several brigades closer to the city, seizing control of the eastern Rafah border crossing with Egypt. According to a report by Al Jazeera, the move comes a day after Hamas accepted an Egyptian-Qatari mediated ceasefire proposal; however, Israel insisted that it does not meet its core demands.
The Rafah crossing is crucial for aid and those who were able to flee into Egypt. The city reportedly has 1.4 million Palestinians, including over 600,000 children sheltering there.
Despite warnings of the attack's catastrophic nature from international humanitarian organizations and the UN, US, and the European Union, Israeli leaders had long anticipated a military operation into Rafah.
Expand2. Pro-Palestine Protests Outside Met Gala Venue
Meanwhile, pro-Palestine protesters in New York gathered near the Met Gala venue to protest against the ongoing war on Gaza, leading to several arrests.
As per a report by The Guardian, the rallying points included the gates of Columbia University, before the protesters marched through Manhattan to the soiree. The protesters were chanting "Rafah!, Gaza!", intending to crash the gala; however, they were confronted by metal barricades and the New York police department.
Several demonstrators carried banners in support of Rafah. A pro-Palestinian advocacy group organised the protest on social media, stating that people were "Flooding the streets of New York City in defense of Rafah and all of Palestine."
A flier for the protest that was posted on X, dubbed the fashion event as the "Citywide Day of Rage for Gaza."
While the exact number of arrests remains unclear, the New York Daily reported that a dozen protesters were arrested out of the hundreds that converged outside the venue.
According to the Gaza health ministry, in the past 24 hours, over 54 Palestinians have been killed and 96 others have been wounded, since Israel launched an offensive in Rafah.
Expand3. The 'Real-Life' Hunger Games
Several netizens pointed out the jarring juxtaposition of the massacre in Gaza and the Met Gala and how it shows a sense of dystopian reality, reminiscent of the The Hunger Games trilogy.
An X user described the situation as "sickening" juxtaposing the viral images of injured children from Gaza with celebrities at the Met Gala.
"The timeline showing me children being pulled out of the rubble and then someone’s met gala outfit is making me feel so insane. this is so dystopian," wrote another.
Another netizen on X interconnected the massacre of Palestinian children and the Met Gala's display of wealth, with American wealth "aimed at destabilizing the world and stealing resources."
Netizens also compared the celebrities walking the red carpet with the wealthy and heartless members of the Capitol in The Hunger Games, while Palestinians fight for survival.
Other users used the platform to direct people's attention towards the tragedy of Gaza and called for “all eyes on Rafah”.
Expand4. Netizens Question the Timing of the Event
Several social media users questioned the timing of the event stating. "There's a freaking Met Gala on while Israel is bombing Rafah, and students who want a ceasefire are being assaulted by the police," a user wrote on X.
Some even stated that high-profile events featuring Hollywood elites are often used as a "distraction" to divert people's attention.
“The Super Bowl, the Oscars, the Met Gala. They’re relying on you being distracted by terrible rich people parading around doing terrible rich people things while they invade Rafah and massacre thousands,” a netizen wrote.
"Israel has a history of strategically staging their invasions and increasing their violence while under the distraction and cover of significant events in the United States," another user wrote on X.
Have a look at some other reactions here:
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)
Expand
What Is Happening in Rafah?
On 6 May, the day of the Met Gala, Israel called on millions of Palestinians to evacuate eastern Rafah, where they were taking refuge, increasing global alarm of the consequences of an Israeli ground invasion of the city.
The Israel Defense Forces had also announced on Monday that they have begun "conducting targeted strikes against Hamas terror targets in eastern Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip."
Condemning the order, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also stated that it would be "impossible to carry out safely."
Yet on Tuesday, 7 May, the Israeli military continued to move several brigades closer to the city, seizing control of the eastern Rafah border crossing with Egypt. According to a report by Al Jazeera, the move comes a day after Hamas accepted an Egyptian-Qatari mediated ceasefire proposal; however, Israel insisted that it does not meet its core demands.
The Rafah crossing is crucial for aid and those who were able to flee into Egypt. The city reportedly has 1.4 million Palestinians, including over 600,000 children sheltering there.
Despite warnings of the attack's catastrophic nature from international humanitarian organizations and the UN, US, and the European Union, Israeli leaders had long anticipated a military operation into Rafah.
Pro-Palestine Protests Outside Met Gala Venue
Meanwhile, pro-Palestine protesters in New York gathered near the Met Gala venue to protest against the ongoing war on Gaza, leading to several arrests.
As per a report by The Guardian, the rallying points included the gates of Columbia University, before the protesters marched through Manhattan to the soiree. The protesters were chanting "Rafah!, Gaza!", intending to crash the gala; however, they were confronted by metal barricades and the New York police department.
Several demonstrators carried banners in support of Rafah. A pro-Palestinian advocacy group organised the protest on social media, stating that people were "Flooding the streets of New York City in defense of Rafah and all of Palestine."
A flier for the protest that was posted on X, dubbed the fashion event as the "Citywide Day of Rage for Gaza."
While the exact number of arrests remains unclear, the New York Daily reported that a dozen protesters were arrested out of the hundreds that converged outside the venue.
According to the Gaza health ministry, in the past 24 hours, over 54 Palestinians have been killed and 96 others have been wounded, since Israel launched an offensive in Rafah.
The 'Real-Life' Hunger Games
Several netizens pointed out the jarring juxtaposition of the massacre in Gaza and the Met Gala and how it shows a sense of dystopian reality, reminiscent of the The Hunger Games trilogy.
An X user described the situation as "sickening" juxtaposing the viral images of injured children from Gaza with celebrities at the Met Gala.
"The timeline showing me children being pulled out of the rubble and then someone’s met gala outfit is making me feel so insane. this is so dystopian," wrote another.
Another netizen on X interconnected the massacre of Palestinian children and the Met Gala's display of wealth, with American wealth "aimed at destabilizing the world and stealing resources."
Netizens also compared the celebrities walking the red carpet with the wealthy and heartless members of the Capitol in The Hunger Games, while Palestinians fight for survival.
Other users used the platform to direct people's attention towards the tragedy of Gaza and called for “all eyes on Rafah”.
Netizens Question the Timing of the Event
Several social media users questioned the timing of the event stating. "There's a freaking Met Gala on while Israel is bombing Rafah, and students who want a ceasefire are being assaulted by the police," a user wrote on X.
Some even stated that high-profile events featuring Hollywood elites are often used as a "distraction" to divert people's attention.
“The Super Bowl, the Oscars, the Met Gala. They’re relying on you being distracted by terrible rich people parading around doing terrible rich people things while they invade Rafah and massacre thousands,” a netizen wrote.
"Israel has a history of strategically staging their invasions and increasing their violence while under the distraction and cover of significant events in the United States," another user wrote on X.
Have a look at some other reactions here:
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)