Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie, in London to promote her new film Maleficent, used the red carpet event on Thursday to renew her plea for the safe return of more than 200 Nigerian school girls kidnapped by Islamist rebels.
The actress, who serves as a United Nations special envoy for refugees, said it was “heart-warming” to hear reporters’ questions and people’s concern for the abducted girls at a movie event. She was one of the many Hollywood stars who came out in support of the campaign. Other names included, Penny Lancaster, Rod’s daughter Kimberley and granddaughter Delilah, Anne Hathaway, Amy Poehler, Ellen DeGeneres, Alicia Keyes,Cara Delevingne and many more.
“The important thing though is to understand that this happens because these men think they can get away with this and they can do this,” Jolie told reporters.
“We have to start arresting people for this, we have to start bringing them to justice and we have to start making it an absolute crime that puts fear in these men so that they think twice about this kind of action.”
People around the world have been showing their support by taking part in protests and joining online campaigns calling for the rescue of the girls taken from a secondary school by extremist group Boko Haram on April 14.
US first lady Michelle Obama and Pakistani schoolgirl and human rights activist Malala Yousafzai are among those backing an online campaign and have posted photos of themselves holding a sign reading “#BringBackOurGirls.”