Black Lives Matter protestors gathered outside New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art during the Met Gala Monday night and they were met with police presence and arrests. The Met Gala, which occurs annually outside and inside the museum, is usually a night for the rich, powerful, and fashionable to show off extravagant designer clothes on par with a specific theme. This year’s theme was “American Independence,” which attracted protests voicing their beliefs that police in this country do not adequately serve and protect communities.
The DailyMail shared a protest flyer that said, “The NYPD has a total financial allocation of $11 billion per year. This money goes towards racist policing that destroys Black and brown communities while people who are struggling do not get the resources they need. CARE, not COPS, is the answer.”
According to some Twitter users, there was very little coverage from the media regarding the protest. One said, “wait there was a blm protest outside of the met gala ??? the way the media is so oversaturated omg i literally didnt know. i feel bad.” Prior to the arrests, protestors seemed to be gathering peacefully with an unnamed individual leading the protest shouting, “If we don’t get no justice, then they don’t get no peace.”
After a few warnings by police were ignored, around 6pm EDT, arrests were made for mainly minor offences. Based on photos and videos taken at the event, the arrests were brutal and protestors were being carried away by police. However; even with a protest going on outside the event, celebrities seemed to pay no mind to the ruckus.
With a theme centered around paying homage to America, it was ironic to see people outside protesting for their rights in a country where marginalized groups are primarily at risk.
Actress and activist Indya Moore made a public statement about the protests and said she will no longer attend the gala. “Being at the Met felt like a cognitive dissonance. People were protesting and were arrested in the name of what so many of us attended, care deeply about,” Moore said.
While Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and actress Cara Delevigne wore outfits with statements such as “Tax the rich” and “Peg the patriarchy,” many felt these attempts at wokeness were performative. Some argued Ocasio-Cortez should have been out there with the protesters instead of schmoozing with the elite.
Activist Ella Dior of For Our Liberation and AbolitionNYC told NowThis she was held at the precinct for 12 hours. She also said all of her fellow protesters have been released.
