Protesters crowded Hollywood’s streets on Sunday as stars arrived for the Academy Awards.
As stars started to arrive at the award ceremony’s red carpet part of the evening, hundreds of people gathered near the Dolby Theatre to denounce what organizers called Hollywood’s “active support of U.S.-funded Israeli genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.”
A coalition of organizations, including the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, Centro CSO, National Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression, Black Lives Matter LA, the Free Democratic Palestine Movement, and the International League of Peoples’ Struggle, organized the rally, which got underway at approximately 10:30 a.m. PT.
READ MORE: Jamie Lee Curtis Departed The Oscars Early For A Very Personal Reason
The purpose of the gathering, according to its organizers, was to “disrupt the Academy Awards” and reveal “retaliation against anyone in the film industry who speaks out against Israel’s atrocities and war crimes.”
At approximately 2:45 p.m. PT, the Los Angeles Police Department responded to the gathering by issuing a dispersal order for unlawful assembly and alerting the public to the possibility of significant traffic delays in the surrounding region.
READ MORE: John Cena Is Accused Of Participating In A Naked “Humiliation Ritual” At The Oscars
At one point, a few protestors managed to break through a chainlink fence and almost made it to the red carpet, but police soon descended upon the scene and stopped them from going any farther. Protesters were observed positioned a few hundred feet away from the arena, behind a chainlink fence, as the event went on.
Some of the audience stayed until the event concluded and people departed the theater to go to their different afterparties, but Dolby Theatre staff put up a few makeshift walls to obstruct their view of the red carpet.
Officers from the LAPD reported that traffic had resumed and that the masses had left the area about 8:30 p.m. One guy was taken into custody for assaulting a policeman.
At about 2:00 p.m., a different demonstration, sponsored by the Jewish Voice for Peace Los Angeles, began a few blocks away near the Cinerama Dome on Sunset Boulevard. PT. Protesters demanded that the top names in Hollywood start making a difference in the situation and that there be an immediate and permanent cease-fire.
Even on the red carpet, those wearing pins advocating for a cease-fire included artist Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas O’Connell.
Radiant TV, offering to elevate your entertainment game! Movies, TV series, exclusive interviews, music, and more—download now on various devices, including iPhones, Androids, smart TVs, Apple TV, Fire Stick, and more.
