Marionette festival in Mali defies threats from jihadi militants to celebrate culture

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — In a residential neighborhood in Mali's capital, a parade of giant marionettes marched through the streets as motorcycles and taxis squeezed through the busy road, stopping at intervals to give way for the puppets.

Rendez-Vous Chez Nous, which translates to “come to us” or “meet at our place” in French, was a three-day festival organized by the Nama marionette and dance group. The ninth annual edition of the event, held in Bamako Nov. 6-8, featured dance performances, concerts and plays.

But the spectacle of colors, raucous music and merriment belied the fear that Bamako residents have lived with in recent weeks. The city of more than 3 million people is being squeezed by al-Qaida-backed jihadi militants who have imposed a monthslong blockade on fuel imports into the landlocked country, resulting in severe shortages and panic.

Authorities had to temporarily close schools and several embassies have asked their citizens to leave the country during the blockade.

Despite the chaos, Malians celebrated the festival with joy.

“We are artists, we fight through our art," said Yacouba Magassaouba, the festival director. “We are committed, and we will not abandon our activities because canceling this festival would mean that the jihadis have won.”

The West African nation is one of several in the Sahel region that have been battered by jihadi violence in the past decades and are now under military rule. Still, Mali has remained a favorite spot for celebrations of arts, culture and lifestyle.

Rendez-Vous Chez Nous seeks to show “our expertise and skills by drawing on our urban cultural heritage,” said Adama Traoré, a member of the organizing team and one of Mali’s most celebrated theater directors.

The parade included more than 200 puppets representing modern Malian women with striking features — eyes wide open, big earrings, trendy hairstyles and colorful attire. Thousands of onlookers gathered to cheer the procession.

There were also animal puppets like lions, horses and hyenas, a sign of bonding and cohabitation representing a theme of social cohesion.

Marionettes have long held cultural importance in Mali, where they are traditionally used to tell stories and pass on wisdom.

“Puppetry represents Malian culture, which is why we like to be associated with these kinds of initiatives," said Patricia Gómez Lanzaco, an adviser to the Spanish embassy, which helped finance the festival.

Despite the ongoing threats from militants, the festival attracted young people and puppeteers from nations across the region including Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Senegal, Ghana and Togo.

Kaleba Mouzou of Togo said he was inspired by the communal efforts that brought the puppets to life.

“Behind each puppet there is teamwork, with people specializing in reshaping the materials used, such as pipes, strings and fabric wraps, to make the puppets,” he said.

Performers carry giant marionettes during an art festival in Bamako, Mali, on Nov. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Moustapha Diallo)

Performers on stilts parade through the streets during an art festival in Bamako, Mali, on Nov. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Moustapha Diallo)

Dancers perform as giant marionettes parade through the streets during an art festival in Bamako, Mali, on Nov. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Moustapha Diallo)

A giant marionette is displayed during an art festival in Bamako, Mali, on Nov. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Moustapha Diallo)

A dancer performs as giant marionettes parade through the streets during an art festival in Bamako, Mali, on Nov. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Moustapha Diallo)

Some celebrities donned anti-ICE pins at the Golden Globes on Sunday in tribute to Renee Good, who was shot and killed in her car by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer this week in Minneapolis.

The black-and-white pins displayed slogans like “BE GOOD” and “ICE OUT,” introducing a political angle into the awards show after last year’s relatively apolitical ceremony.

Mark Ruffalo, Wanda Sykes, Jean Smart and Natasha Lyonne wore the pins on the red carpet, and other celebrities were expected to have them on display as well.

Since the shooting Wednesday, protests have broken out across the country, calling for accountability for Good's death as well as a separate shooting in Portland where Border Patrol agents wounded two people. Some protests have resulted in clashes with law enforcement, especially in Minneapolis, where ICE is carrying out its largest immigration enforcement operation to date.

“We need every part of civil society, society to speak up,” said Nelini Stamp of Working Families Power, one of the organizers for the anti-ICE pins. “We need our artists. We need our entertainers. We need the folks who reflect society.”

Congressmembers have vowed an assertive response, and an FBI investigation into Good's killing is ongoing. The Trump administration has doubled down in defending the ICE officer's actions, maintaining that he was acting in self-defense and thought Good would hit him with her car.

Just a week before Good was killed, an off-duty ICE officer fatally shot and killed 43-year-old Keith Porter in Los Angeles. His death sparked protests in the Los Angeles area, calling for the officer responsible to be arrested.

The idea for the “ICE OUT” pins began with a late-night text exchange earlier this week between Stamp and Jess Morales Rocketto, the executive director of a Latino advocacy group called Maremoto.

They know that high-profile cultural moments can introduce millions of viewers to social issues. This is the third year of Golden Globes activism for Morales Rocketto, who has previously rallied Hollywood to protest the Trump administration’s family separation policies. Stamp said she always thinks of the 1973 Oscars, when Sacheen Littlefeather took Marlon Brando’s place and declined his award to protest American entertainment’s portrayal of Native Americans.

So, the two organizers began calling up the celebrities and influencers they knew, who in turn brought their campaign to the more prominent figures in their circles. That initial outreach included labor activist Ai-jen Poo, who walked the Golden Globes’ red carpet in 2018 with Meryl Streep to highlight the Time’s Up movement.

“There is a longstanding tradition of people who create art taking a stand for justice in moments,” Stamp said. “We’re going to continue that tradition.”

Allies of their movement have been attending the “fancy events” that take place in the days leading up to the Golden Globes, according to Stamp. They’re passing out the pins at parties and distributing them to neighbors who will be attending tonight’s ceremony.

“They put it in their purse and they’re like, ‘Hey would you wear this?’ It’s so grassroots,” Morales Rocketto said.

The organizers pledged to continue the campaign throughout awards season to ensure the public knows the names of Good and others killed by ICE agents in shootings.

For more coverage of the 2026 Golden Globes, visit https://apnews.com/hub/golden-globe-awards

Jean Smart poses in the press room with the award for best performance by a female actor in a television series – musical or comedy for "Hacks" during the 83rd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Natasha Lyonne, left, and Clea DuVall arrive at the 83rd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Wanda Sykes arrives at the 83rd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Mark Ruffalo, left, and Sunrise Coigney arrive at the 83rd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Mark Ruffalo, wearing a "Be Good" pin, arrives at the 83rd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)