Five arrested over pro-Palestine protests at Gal Gadot filming in UK
Five protesters have been arrested after reportedly targeting the central London set of Gal Gadot's upcoming film The Runner.
Metropolitan Police responded to the Westminster set on Wednesday, where three people were arrested for harassment, as well as unlawfully obstructing access to a workplace. Another two were arrested over previous protests.
All five individuals remain in custody.
Police said the set was hit with demonstrations 'solely because an actress involved in the production is Israeli.'
'While we absolutely acknowledge the importance of peaceful protest, we have a duty to intervene where it crosses the line into serious disruption or criminality,' said Superintendent Neil Holyoak in a statement. "I hope today's operation shows we will not tolerate the harassment of or unlawful interference with those trying to go about their legitimate professional work in London."
Gadot, who was born in Israel and served in the IDF, has previously expressed her support for Israel, sparking pro-Palestine protests at her Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in March.
Her and Snow White co-star Rachel Zegler's opposing stances also hit headlines this year and plagued the released of the Disney live-action movie.
The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic & Cultural Boycott of Israel (Pacbi) has previously said Gadot films should be boycotted, claiming she has shown support for Israel's military campaign in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
What's happening? Labubu dolls, that's what. Creepy cute little monsters with fluffy bodies and razor sharp grins. Originally created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung for his picture book series "Monsters", they were turned into figurines in 2019 as part of a collaboration with toymakers Pop Mart. Since then, their popularity has skyrocketed — especially in bag charm form. Everyone wants one!
Why are they in the news? Last week, Pop Mart decided to pull the toys from all 16 of its UK shops until June, citing "potential safety issues". Many fans have responded angrily — but only have themselves to blame. The announcement followed a fight that reportedly broke out in a London store, where people had queued overnight to obtain the latest Labubu editions. "People were shouting, basically saying there were no more Labubus left,' one customer told the BBC. 'I even witnessed a fight between a worker and a customer."
What's driving this craziness? As is the source of most contemporary trends, we can blame TikTok. The trend took off after Lisa, a member of the popular K-pop band Blackpink, was seen with one on her bag. At the time of writing, there are 1.4M posts under #Labubu, with people excitedly sharing their collections, unboxings, and even crocheting their own versions. In an age where most things are mass produced and easily obtainable, Pop Art's blind boxes and limited edition drops are exciting in their spontaneity.
How much are they? In the UK, they tend to cost anywhere between £13.50 (€16) to £50 (€59), although rare editions can go for even more. One of the main reasons for the recent chaos is re-sellers, who frantically buy up new drops purely to hike up the price, leaving genuine buyers out of luck and frustrated.
Ok, but can we talk about the fact grown adults are getting so upset over toys? Sure, but don't you know we're in the midst of a plushie pandemic?! From Jellycats to Squishmallows — adults have become key consumers of all things cute. According to research group Circana, one in five toys and games are now bought by over-18s for themselves. It's a rapidly growing market known as 'kidults', and led by a mixture of things — like people having children later and overwhelming existential anxiety. The world is on fire, might as well buy some weird little guys to cope.
But… Why are they so scary looking? That's their appeal: the combination of sweet and sinister. Another example of this is the hugely popular Sonny Angels — cherubic little figurines wearing themed bonnets and no pants. Sure, they sound whimsical, but if you look closely enough at those perfectly poised arms and sideways glances... They're plotting something. But it's often these subtly unnerving/bizarre elements of certain toys that make them stand-out; the expressions and outfits characterful and endlessly adaptable.
Sounds like Labubu have got this whole 'kidult' toy craze in the bag. On the bag, more like! Speaking of which — ours suddenly looks awful lonely without...
Don't even...
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