Los Angeles, Ca
Pro-Palestinian protestors in Hollywood call for ceasefire ahead of Oscars
Hundreds of Pro-Palestinian protestors took to Hollywood ahead of the Oscars to call for an immediate ceasefire.
One of the messages from the group is that some of those who are pro-Palestinian in the entertainment industry are being silenced for their views.
“We’re here today to disrupt the Academy Awards,” Miguel Camnitzer of Jewish Voice for Peace said to KTLA 5’s John Fenoglio. “We know it is a giant distraction from the ongoing genocide in Gaza.”
There have been roughly 30,000 deaths — mostly civilians — in Gaza since the start of the conflict between Hamas and Israel. The Israeli government says the bombing of Gaza is in retaliation for the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, which killed roughly 1,200 people in Israel.
The pro-Palestinian protestors demonstrated in the area surrounding the Dolby Theatre, the site of the 96th Academy Awards. The large group made its way from Sunset Boulevard to Hollywood Boulevard, calling for a ceasefire.
“Ceasefire now,” said Etaf Ali, who grew up in the Occupied West Bank and has family members still in Gaza. “No food, no water, nothing. It’s heartbreaking.”
While some protestors are encouraged by the U.S. effort to provide aid to Gaza, many are still frustrated by the federal government’s response to the ongoing conflict.
“We spend $3.8 billion a year to fund Israel,” Camnitzer said. “We send them weapons.”
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A sign from the protest in Hollywood where hundreds pro-Palestinian demonstrators called for a ceasefire before the Oscars in Hollywood on March 10, 2024. (KTLA) -
The Los Angeles Police Department had hundreds of officers at near the site of the Oscars in Hollywood on March 10, 2024. (KTLA) -
A sign from the protest in Hollywood where hundreds pro-Palestinian demonstrators called for a ceasefire before the Oscars in Hollywood on March 10, 2024. (KTLA) -
Protestors call for a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The group demonstrated in Hollywood, leading up to the Academy Awards on March 10, 2024. (KTLA)
LAPD had several officers and hundreds of private security guards on the scene. Although things were tense throughout the afternoon at the site of the protest, there were no reports of any violence, but one protestor was arrested.
Authorities issued a Dispersal Order Sunday afternoon in an effort to control the area
By the time the Academy Awards wrapped up, protestors had left the area, and much of Hollywood Boulevard was quiet.