Topless, screaming woman crashes Cannes red carpet to protest war crimes

By Edward Era Barbacena

A topless woman protesting sexual violence in Ukraine crashed the red carpet premiere of “Three Thousand Years of Longing” at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday.

Wearing only panties drenched with blood-red paint, the screaming woman had the Ukrainian flag sprayed across her chest with the words “Stop raping us.” The word “scum” was also written on her lower back.

Video posted to Twitter shows security personnel covering up the woman and escorting her off the carpet.

The gatecrasher’s protest comes amidst the ongoing attack on Ukraine by Russia, which invaded the country in late February. This week, Ukrainian authorities identified a Russian solder they suspected of committing war crimes, including alleged involvement in the gang rape of a young girl during the occupation of a village outside Kyiv. It’s far from the first reported incident of rape: Numerous allegations of rape have been raised in the months since the war started.

The film is George Miller’s first directorial endeavor since “Mad Max: Fury Road” in 2015. 

Starring Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba, the movie tells the story of a scholar meeting a magician in a hotel room where she discovers his fantastical past while getting to make three wishes of her own.

Miller, Swinton and Elba walked the red carpet after the protester was already removed, Variety reported.

This activist exposed the war rapes and sexual torture committed on Ukrainian women by russian soldiers. 

Someone just tried to crash the carpet for the premiere of George Millers’ ‘Three Thousand Years of Longing.