Internet livid at Kim Kardashian saying ‘Free everybody’ in response to ‘Free Palestine’
Kim Kardashian found herself embroiled in controversy once again, this time for her response to disruption during a panel discussion at the OMR digital and marketing trade fair in Hamburg. As a woman in the crowd started chanting "Free Palestine," Kardashian's reaction drew intense scrutiny from online commentators.
In a moment captured on camera, the reality star, known for her influential platform and massive social media following, responded to the interruption by stating, "Free everybody." This response, dubbed by Palestine supporters as a "both-sides" approach, sparked a wave of criticism and condemnation from internet users.
Online reactions ranged from accusations of ignorance and insensitivity to accusations of complicity in global oppression. Many pointed out the stark contrast between Kim’s response to the Israeli occupation of Palestine and her past advocacy efforts, such as her vocal support for the recognition of the Armenian genocide.
One critic took to microblogging platform X, formerly Twitter, and slammed, “Kim Kardashian’s reaction to people shouting ‘Free Palestine' is ‘Free everybody.’ How dumb can you be? You’re 43 years old. You know better. You should be against this genocide cause your dad’s country is also going through one.”
Another remarked, “Apologising to Kim Kardashian because her peace is disrupted while people in Palestine have no peace. You choose to say free everybody, but doesn’t that include the people of Palestine who suffer every day while you sit in your mansion?”
The mogul’s double standards did not sit well with many. A detractor penned, “Dear Kim, not everyone is undergoing a genocide, domicide, educide, occupation, oppression and displacement. Palestinians are being erased. You claim to have a passion for justice, yet I don't see you opposing Israel's ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.”
Many X users launched a broadside against Kim, calling out her silence on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Palestine. Some pointed out the hypocrisy of her “all lives matter” approach, arguing that it undermined the severity of the situation faced by Palestinians.
“How can you be 43 years old and be this dense and ignorant? And for all the people saying she didn’t say anything wrong, you know damn well she didn’t mean free Palestine, Congo, and Sudan. F**k Israel and Kim Kardashian!” angrily protested one post.
Seemingly innocuous, “All Lives Matter” has become a common refrain among far-right groups as a rebuttal against “Black Lives Matter”. Activists and scholars alike have jumped in the debate to underline how the phrase diminishes the grievances of black people in the US.
Drawing the same parallel, one post read, “We got a new ‘all lives matter'" while another urged, “Kim Kardashian refuses to say Free Palestine and then decides to ‘all lives matter' it and says ‘Free Everybody.’ What if people had that same attitude when she was speaking on the Armenian genocide?”
Others lamented the perceived prioritisation of celebrity culture over issues of global significance, with one commenter describing the past seven months as “scientific proof that celebrities are soulless and celebrity culture is garbage.”
“Free Palestine. So tired of these privileged a** millionaires. The amount of stupidity,” a disgruntled X user rebuked Kim. “This mindset is so insanely dangerous. You cannot be neutral when it comes to genocide,” another pointed out.
Simplifying the hot debate, one post humbly requested, “Can we stop stanning millionaires like they actually do something important to humanity?”
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