Pro-Palestine protesters have descend upon Hollywood to disrupt the Academy Awards with calls for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.
As celebrities make their way to the Oscars red carpet at the Dolby Theatre, demonstrators are waving flags and holding signs at near by street.
The Los Angeles Police Department has amped up its presence at the Academy Awards to prevent pro-Palestine protesters from stealing the show.
Several groups, including Film Workers for Palestine, have organized the protest because they believe Israel will attack Rafah, Gaza, while Americans are watching the award show.
LAPD Commander Randy Goddard told The New York Times at least one group ‘would like to stop the Academy Awards.’
‘It’s going to be our goal to ensure that the Academy Awards is successful, that guests can arrive safely and get into the venue,’ Goddard said.
Pro-Palestine protesters have descend upon Hollywood to disrupt the Academy Awards with calls for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war
As celebrities make their way to the Oscars red carpet at the Dolby Theatre, demonstrators are waving flags and holding signs at near by street
Several groups, including Film Workers for Palestine, have organized the protest because they believe Israel will attack Rafah, Gaza , while Americans are watching the award show
The Los Angeles Police Department has amped up its presence at the Academy Awards to prevent pro-Palestine protesters from stealing the show
‘But, also, we are going to try very hard to make contact with the groups as they show up, and lay out the expectation that we as the police are here to support your First Amendment constitutional rights.’
Film Workers for Palestine, along with the LA chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, SAG-AFTRA Members for Ceasefire and the Adalah Justice Project have scheduled a protest for 1 p.m. at the Cinerama Dome, about one mile away from Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre.
‘This Oscars Sunday, Rafah faces a planned invasion from Israeli forces. The Israeli government and its allies hope we will be too distracted to notice,’ Film Workers for Palestine said in an Instagram post.
‘This has happened before. On February 11, over 120 million tuned in to the Super Bowl. While our eyes were glued to the TV, the Israeli military launched deadly strikes on Rafah (Gaza’s “safe zone”), killing hundreds.’
‘We will not let people turn away from the atrocities in Gaza. We are taking action and making sure Palestine will NOT be ignored for some glitz and glam,’ said the group.
A stretch of Hollywood Boulevard has already been shut down for pre-show construction, and there are road closures in place for the star-studded event, reported NBC Los Angeles.
Orange Drive to Highland Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard is scheduled to be closed until 6 a.m. on March 13.
On TikTok, one user said, ‘If you are in the area where the Oscars are going to be held, it’s time to cause chaos. Not violence, but chaos.’
‘I mean every road blocked, any entryway blocked, as much as you can. I don’t care if you have to fill the entire street with garbage cans, trash, just leave cars and sit in there, nobody should be watching the Oscars.’
LAPD Commander Randy Goddard told The New York Times at least one group ‘would like to stop the Academy Awards’
A stretch of Hollywood Boulevard has already been shut down for pre-show construction, and there are road closures in place for the star-studded event
Oscars telecast showrunner Raj Kapoor told The Hollywood Reporter he and his fellow producers are prepared for possible disruptions.
‘There are a lot of plans in place and hundreds of people involved in those type of decisions. There’s a formal plan, but, in the end, there are a few people that will make key decisions in a very short amount of time if anything happens,’ said Kapoor.
There’s a lot of thought that goes into every single piece of this show. That’s why it is the Oscars. That’s why it’s a global show because every nuance is actually thought about ahead of time.’
Jimmy Kimmel will host the award show for the fourth time starting at 4 p.m., an hour earlier than usual thanks to Daylight Savings. The ceremony is set to air starting at 7 p.m. eastern/4 p.m. pacific on ABC.
Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer leads the field with 13 nominations and is the frontrunner to win best picture.