From Gaza to “tax the rich”: Met Gala becomes focal point of recurring protests

• Gaza tax the rich and boycott activism converge on the Metropolitan Museum and Met Gala.

For several years, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and its star-studded Met Gala have become flashpoints for activists protesting 'Israel's' military genocide in Gaza, billionaire influence, labor exploitation, and perceived institutional complicity.

Demonstrators have repeatedly targeted the Upper East Side landmark with marches, art installations, street theater, and direct actions, blending calls for a ceasefire and divestment with anti-wealth rhetoric and boycott campaigns.

The latest wave, surrounding the May 4, 2026 Met Gala co-chaired and primarily sponsored by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sánchez Bezos, fused these threads under slogans like “Tax the Rich” and explicit boycott demands.

2024: Quilt Installations and Gala Disruptions Over Gaza

Protests gained momentum in early 2024 amid the 'Israeli' war on Gaza. On March 24, 2024, hundreds of pro-Palestine activists and artists unfurled a massive 30-by-50-foot quilt on the Met’s front steps.

Modeled after the AIDS Memorial Quilt, the Palestine quilt featured works by 64 international artists under the theme “From oppression to liberation, free Palestine.” Organizers accused the museum and its board of complicity in 'Israel’s' actions in Gaza, demanding an immediate ceasefire and the preservation of Palestinian cultural heritage. Chants of “Free Palestine” and “How many children did Israel kill today?” echoed as the quilt was displayed.

Weeks later, on May 6, 2024, the Met Gala itself drew over 1,000 anti-genocide protesters organized by the Palestinian-led group Within Our Lifetime. Marchers converged from Hunter College in a “Citywide Day of Rage,” chanting “Rafah! Gaza!” and “Divest! We will not stop. We will not rest!” Some removed barricades, set off smoke bombs and flares, vandalized a World War I memorial in Central Park, and burned an American flag. Police blocked access to the museum, leading to arrests, but the demonstration highlighted outrage over the gala’s lavish displays amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

2025: Persistent Gaza Focus and Clashes

The pattern repeated in 2025. On May 5, Within Our Lifetime again staged a “Day of Rage” protest near the Met Gala. Marchers, undeterred by rain, moved through Central Park and Madison Avenue, accusing the Met of having “blood on its hands” and tying celebrity wealth to Gaza’s suffering, including reports of aid blockages and famine.

One protester reached the museum entrance waving a Palestinian flag. Clashes occurred with police and a small pro-'Israel' counter-demonstration; the NYPD reported no arrests in some accounts, though others noted detentions. Organizers emphasized the contrast between red-carpet glamour and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

2026: Bezos Sponsorship Ignites 'Tax the Rich' Boycott Campaign

This year’s protests shifted emphasis but retained overlapping themes of inequality and global injustice. Announced in February as honorary co-chairs and lead sponsors, with Bezos reportedly contributing around $10 million, the couple’s involvement drew immediate backlash.

Activists, led by the guerrilla group Everyone Hates Elon, framed the event as the “Bezos Met Gala” or “Amazon Prime Gala,” citing Amazon’s labor practices (including allegations of workers forced to urinate in bottles), contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Bezos’s tax history.

Pre-gala actions included:

• Citywide posters and subway ads reading “The Bezos Met Gala: Brought to You by the Company that Powers ICE” and “Brought to you by worker exploitation.”
• Projections on the Bezoses’ Manhattan penthouse featuring Amazon worker interviews alongside slogans such as “Boycott the Bezos Met Gala,” “If You Can Buy the Met Gala, You Can Pay More Taxes,” and “No Red Carpet for Trump’s Billionaires.”
• On Friday before the event, activists placed approximately 300 bottles of fake urine inside the museum as a protest symbol.

On the night of the gala (May 4, 2026), demonstrators gathered outside with signs reading “Tax the Rich” and “Shut it down!” Chants echoed similar refrains.

Amazon Labor Union founder Chris Smalls was reportedly arrested after attempting to breach a police barricade. Some coverage linked the anti-billionaire anger to broader crises, including “genocides in Gaza and Sudan,” though the dominant focus remained labor rights and wealth inequality.

The museum has not issued detailed public responses to the specific actions in available reports, though the Met Gala remains a major fundraiser for the Costume Institute. Critics argue the event’s evolution into a billionaire showcase exacerbates perceptions of elitism, especially against the backdrop of international conflicts.

Broader Context and Reactions

Activists from groups like Within Our Lifetime and Everyone Hates Elon have described the Met as symbolically tied to power structures they oppose, whether through board connections, silence on Gaza, or acceptance of high-profile sponsorships. Boycott calls, amplified on social media, urge celebrities and the public to reject participation.

Supporters of the gala counter that it raises essential funds for art preservation and cultural programming.As protests recur annually, they underscore deepening divides over wealth, foreign policy, and institutional accountability in New York City’s cultural scene.

With the 2026 gala now concluded amid heightened security and visible dissent, observers expect continued mobilization in the months ahead.