Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters chanted and disrupted the early parts of Sunday’s 96th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theater. 

The march was part of a “Protest the Oscars for Palestine” campaign launched by multiple Los Angeles-based organizations, including Black Lives Matter, Los Angeles, the U.S. Palestinian Community Network and the Free Democratic Palestine Movement.

The groups accused the film industry of being “complicit” and not being vocal about the Israel-Hamas War.

 “As Palestinians currently endure an Israeli-US perpetrated genocide, Hollywood stars are not only ignoring their own complicity; some publicly advocate for the killing of over 30,000 Palestinians,” protest organizers said. “There is no way the Oscars or any business as usual should proceed.”

The march took place on the streets of Hollywood, which were already experiencing closures and traffic due to the star-studded annual event. 

LAPD was on-scene, shadowing the demonstrators throughout the day and announcing that one arrest was made.

“Throughout the day, multiple groups of pedestrian demonstrators gathered around Los Angeles,” the LAPD said in a statement. “The groups have dispersed, and the flow of traffic has been restored. As LAPD addressed a pedestrian group, one arrest was made for ‘Battery on a Police Officer.’ We want to thank the men and women who worked long hours to ensure citizens were able to exercise their First Amendment right.”

Multiple local activist groups accused LAPD officers of inciting violence on the protesters, showing videos of them pushing through the crowds with their batons out, at multiple points holding them like baseball bats and yelling at the crowds to “get back.”

“We believe LAPD struck this person multiple times in the head while attempting to make the arrest,” the People’s City Council, Los Angeles said while posting an incident video online.

The protest started at 10:30 a.m. near the now-defunct Cinerama Dome on Sunset Boulevard and slowly made its way closer to the Dolby Theater on Hollywood Boulevard before LAPD made a dispersal order for unlawful assembly at 2:45 p.m.

While not at full force, several protesters remained nearby and were visible as guests arrived for the Oscars. Gestures of solidarity with protesters were made from within, most notably from “Poor Things” star Mark Ruffalo, who walked down the red carpet, raised his fist to the air and said, “The Palestinian protests shut down the Oscars tonight. Humanity wins.”

Ruffalo, as well as several other actors and actresses at the awards ceremony,, wore pins supporting various political movements. Some pins called for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, others wore Palestinian flag buttons, and others supported abortion healthcare rights. 

Multiple actors wore yellow ribbon pins in support of a “Bring them home now” campaign, which has asked for 134 Israeli hostages to be released by the militant group known as Hamas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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