Meryl Streep dismissed questions about the all-white panel at the Berlin Film Festival Thursday by commenting that “we’re all Africans really,” which has ignited a furor on the internet.

According to CBS News, Streep, who heads up a seven-member jury, said she was committed to equality and inclusion “of all genders, races, ethnicities, religions.”

Meryl Streep faces backlash over 'We're all Africans' comment https://t.co/eg4lQD6aJ1 pic.twitter.com/odYDhCISFu

— CNN (@CNN) February 11, 2016

“This jury is evidence that at least women are included and in fact dominate this jury, and that’s an unusual situation in bodies of people who make decisions,” Streep said. “So I think the Berlinale is ahead of the game.”

In response to a question asking whether she understood films from the Arab world and North Africa, Streep said that while she didn’t know much about the region, “I’ve played a lot of different people from a lot of different cultures.”

“There is a core of humanity that travels right through every culture, and after all we’re all from Africa originally,” she said. “Berliners, we’re all Africans really.”

Social media posts were strewn with expressions of disbelief and anger over Streeps’ comments.

nooooo meryl streep whyyyyyy https://t.co/SBSiGEh1on

— Jamelle Bouie (@jbouie) February 11, 2016

Since according to Meryl Streep we're all Africans I can't wait to see Wesley Snipes play George Washington!

— Bougie Black Girl (@BougieBlackGurl) February 11, 2016

"We're all Africans, really" is like something Meryl Streep would say on the CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM version of the Oscars.

— Miriam Bale (@mimbale) February 11, 2016

The festival opens Thursday with the jury’s other members, German actor Lars Eidinger, British film critic Nick James, French photographer Brigitte Lacombe, British actor Clive Owen, Italian actress Alba Rohrwacher and Polish director Malgorzata Szumowska, deciding who goes home with the coveted Golden Bear.

The Coen brothers’ comedy “Hail, Caesar!” starring George Clooney, Josh Brolin and a slew of other A-list celebrities kicked off the festival on Thursday.