Pro-Palestine demonstrators clash with police outside Met Gala 2025
As Hollywood descends on the 2025 Met Gala for an evening of high fashion and elaborate celebrations, pro-Palestine protests have been raging close by.
Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour returns to oversee this year’s fundraiser, with Pharrell Williams, Lewis Hamilton, Colman Domingo, and LeBron James as co-chairs.
The theme is Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, with some of the biggest names in film, TV, and music donning their finery to honour ‘the importance of clothing and style to the formation of Black identities’.
While A-listers gathered inside the museum, demonstrators took over a nearby street in New York City.
Congregating at 1100 Madison Avenue, the protesters held up banners emblazoned with the ‘Free Palestine’ slogan.
Flags were also waved as rain poured down and police officers intervened.
Photos show some being escorted away from the group by cops, while others remain behind railings, shouting passionately.
It’s believed the protests began a couple of hours before celebs arrived at the Met, and the atmosphere became tense pretty early on.
Footage shows some attempting to push past barricades, prompting the NYPD to move in.
Counter-protesters later joined with Israeli flags. They also sang Am Yisrael Chai, a Hebrew anthem meaning ‘The people of Israel will live’.
The Met Gala is no stranger to a demonstration. Last year, a similar protest saw over 1,000 marchers stopped by police before reaching the museum.
Smoke bombs and flares were set off while others managed to evade cops before looping back around.
The Gala is held on the first Monday in May each year to raise money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in Manhattan.
It was founded in 1946, and the first major event was held two years later, going on to become arguably the biggest event in the showbiz calendar.
This year, the likes of Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, Diana Ross, Zendaya, Miley Cyrus, and Shakira are in attendance, to name just a few.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.