Hollywood’s streets became a canvas of protest on Sunday, as hundreds of demonstrators assembled near the Oscars venue to voice their opposition to what they describe as Hollywood’s endorsement of Israeli actions against Palestinians in Gaza, ahead of the 96th Academy Awards. According to NBC Los Angeles, the protests, featuring organizations like the U.S. Palestinian Community Network and Black Lives Matter LA, aimed to shine a spotlight on the entertainment industry’s supposed complicity through financial ties to Israel and to call out the suppression of pro-Palestinian sentiment within its ranks.
To maintain order as the groups converged in the area of Sunset Boulevard and Cherokee Avenue, the Los Angeles Police Department instituted a dispersal order to disband what they deemed an unlawful assembly, the department posted on X, which asked people to stay clear of the location and warned of potential traffic impediments one protestor was arrested for ‘Battery on a Police Officer’ as multiple groups of pedestrian demonstrators gathered around Los Angeles throughout the day, the flow of traffic has since been restored. Organizers stated they anticipated to “disrupt the Academy Awards,” highlighting what they perceive as retaliation against individuals in the film industry who critique Israel’s conduct, as per a KTLA interview.
The LAPD is aware of a group of pedestrian demonstrators in the area of Sunset Boulevard and Cherokee Avenue. Please avoid the area and expect traffic delays.
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) March 10, 2024
Simultaneously, Jewish Voice for Peace Los Angeles and other activists commenced a separate march starting at the iconic Cinerama Dome on Sunset Boulevard, in response to reports of potential Israeli military plans concerning Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. These protesters demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire and urge Hollywood industry leaders to leverage their influence for peace. The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed a citywide tactical alert due to the demonstrations, revealing, “A Dispersal Order was issued in the area of Sunset Boulevard and Cherokee Avenue for Unlawful Assembly,” in a statement obtained by KTLA.
The controversy and tensions of the day did not culminate in reported violence by the evening despite a strong presence of law enforcement and private security the LAPD thanked individuals for maintaining peace while exercising their First Amendment rights after the protests and the Oscars ceremony concluded Hollywood Boulevard returned to its customary tranquility. In a report by NBC Los Angeles, demonstrators’ grievances were amplified by the casualties in Gaza, with allegations of genocide and calls for the cessation of U.S. aid to Israel, underscoring a fraught intersection of geopolitics and the glittering spectacle of Hollywood’s biggest night.