Protesters flood streets of Hollywood ahead of Oscars
The streets of Hollywood were flooded with protesters on Sunday as celebrities arrived for the Academy Awards.
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," as stars began to arrive at the award ceremony's red carpet portion of the evening.
The rally began at around 10:30 a.m. PT and was hosted by a coalition of organizations that included 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.
Organizers said that they gathered in order to "disrupt the Academy Awards" and expose "retaliation against anyone in the film industry who speaks out against Israel's atrocities and war crimes."
In response to the gathering, the Los Angeles Police Department issued a dispersal order at around 2:45 p.m. PT for unlawful assembly and warned the public that the surrounding area would likely experience heavy traffic delays.
At one point, several protesters nearly reached the red carpet after they were able to push through a chainlink fence in the area, but police quickly swarmed the area and prevented them from advancing any further. As the show continued, protesters were seen standing behind the chainlink fence just hundreds of feet from the venue.
A portion of the crowd lingered until the show ended and attendees left the venue to attend their various afterparties, but crews from the Dolby Theatre blocked the red carpet from their line of sight with several temporary walls.
At 8:30 p.m., LAPD officers reported that the crowds had dispersed from the area and that traffic had been restored. One person was arrested for battery on a police officer.
Blocks away, a separate demonstration organized by the Jewish Voice for Peace Los Angeles got underway near the Cinerama Dome on Sunset Boulevard at around 2:00 p.m. PT. Protesters called for an immediate and permanent cease-fire and for Hollywood's biggest voices to start taking action on the matter.
The topic even made its way to the red carpet, where attendees like singer Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas O'Connell were seen wearing pins calling for a cease-fire.
