This year, the city of Cannes banned protests along the Croisette and its surroundings during the festival.

Ilona Chernobai — a Ukrainian fitness trainer with one million followers on Instagram — walked the red carpet at Cannes in a blue and yellow dress, symbolizing the Ukraine flag. As she got to the stairs, she pulled bags of fake blood from underneath her dress and poured them over herself. Security immediately grabbed her and escorted her off the carpet.

On her Instagram, Chernobai posted her act of protest, writing, “The action was in support of the occupied territories and our people who live there.”

She continued, “Unfortunately, I can no longer post all the events in stories, like many bloggers, because Instagram destroys everything! But my page is under threat of deletion! I am very glad that my act spread all over the world media! People should not forget about us!”

“I am with Ukraine in my heart,” she said. “I did what I had to do!”

Chernobai said in her post that she is now “banned from the festival” and many other events, “but it’s worth it.”

In light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Cannes banned Russian delegates from the festival in 2022, writing in a statement, “We will not welcome official Russian delegations nor accept the presence of anyone linked to the Russian government.”