A protester was tackled by security outside the Met Gala on Monday evening in a chaotic moment. Footage shared by The Cut shows a man wearing white glasses being brought to the ground by officers near the entrance to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where the annual fashion event was taking place. In the clip, multiple officers can be seen restraining the individual as the situation escalates, with more personnel joining the scene moments later. It is not currently clear what led to the incident, but Variety has reported that the person was a ‘protester.’
Background of Protests
The Met Gala, one of the biggest nights in the fashion calendar, is known not only for its celebrity guest list but also for attracting demonstrations outside its gates each year. Ahead of this year’s event, activist groups staged a number of protests across New York, including actions targeting the gala’s high-profile sponsors and billionaire backers – Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez Bezos – along with calls for celebrities to boycott the event. Opposition to the event’s high-profile backers has been building for months. Criticism of the Bezos’ intensified after they were announced as financial sponsors in February, tapping into a wider surge of anti-wealth sentiment both nationally and within New York City.
Political and Social Backlash
The backlash gained further visibility in April when newly elected mayor Zohran Mamdani said he would not attend, citing a focus on affordability rather than high-profile fundraising events. In the lead-up to the gala, criticism spilled out across the city, from social media to subway stations, where the event has been mockingly dubbed the ‘Amazon Prime Gala’ and ‘Bezos Ball’. There have also been reports of unease among some regular attendees, with speculation that a handful of high-profile guests chose to sit this year out. Activist group Everyone Hates Elon has been among those leading calls for a boycott, staging a series of attention-grabbing protests across New York. Their campaign has included posters and projections in public spaces, as well as a stunt inside the museum itself, where dozens of bottles filled with fake urine were reportedly placed in reference to complaints from Amazon workers about working conditions.
History of Demonstrations
Demonstrations have long accompanied the event, which raises funds for the museum’s Costume Institute but has also faced criticism over its association with wealth and exclusivity. Previous years have also seen arrests and demonstrations in the surrounding area, as campaigners use the visibility of the red carpet to draw attention to wider political and social issues. There has been no official comment from the New York Police Department regarding the incident at the time of writing. Metro has contacted Met Gala organisers and the NYPD for comment.
