Mia Schem barred from wearing hostage ribbon on Cannes' red carpet

Former Hamas hostage Mia Schem says security officials at the Cannes Film Festival confiscated a ribbon she intended to wear on the red carpet on Saturday, which read “Bring Them Home” in support of the hostages still held in Gaza. 

“I came to help in the struggle to bring the hostages back,” Schem told Israel’s N12 News. “Unfortunately, upon arriving at the red carpet, the festival management confiscated the ribbon I was supposed to wear.” 

Determined to send a message, Schem said she borrowed a yellow hostage pin from another member of the Israeli delegation and wore it on her dress instead.

Schem, who was released from Hamas captivity during a temporary ceasefire in late 2023, was invited to Cannes by the local Jewish community to raise awareness for the hostages’ cause. On Friday, she was hosted by the Mayor of Nice and addressed the city council.

Her appearance comes as the festival grapples with increasingly visible political activism. Directors Arab and Tarzan Nasser staged an anti-Israel protest during the screening of their film Once Upon a Time in Gaza, calling the war in Gaza “the greatest and most horrific genocide in modern history.” In a separate event, Australian editor and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange wore a jacket with the phrase “Stop Israel” and a shirt listing thousands of children allegedly killed in Gaza.

Cannes organizers have not issued an official comment regarding the removal of Schem’s ribbon. The festival, known for blending celebrity with political commentary, has faced criticism from both sides for the way global conflicts are represented — or silenced — on its red carpet.