Pro-Palestine Protests Slow Down Hollywood Streets Ahead of Oscars
Pro-Palestine protestors blocked many of the same streets used to get to the 2025 Oscars on Sunday, slowing traffic ahead of the ceremony’s start.
The protest took place at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue, where cars and limousines must turn on their way to the Dolby Theatre. The Hollywood Reporter learned that authorities closed several nearby streets because of the activity, and at least one THR staffer attending Sunday’s ceremony noted that traffic was barely moving.
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One social media post from human rights organization Code Pink noted they were “outside of the Oscars in LA protesting against Hollywood’s complicity in Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people.” A press release from the organization later noted that the LAPD began arresting one of the activists, but that the person was eventually let go. Though CodePink’s release noted that protestors complied with authorities, the group was ticketed with a required court visit for failing to disperse.
Another source told THR that the Los Angeles Police Department had increased their security measures for this year’s ceremony, after protests last year — also for Palestine — slowed access to the red carpet. The protests this year have not disrupted the ceremony’s timing, and many of the night’s biggest expected stars, including Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, have already arrived.
Last year’s Oscars ceremony began six minutes late as a result of the protests, which brought traffic to a complete standstill at Sunset and Highland for more than 30 minutes. Attendees left their vehicles and began walking toward the event on the side of the road.
The Israel-Hamas war remains a prominent issue for Hollywood in 2025. Last week, Artists4Ceasefire sent a letter urging attendees to wear red hand pins in support of Gaza. The Brigade, a PR group, fired back at the request, after the release of the bodies of the youngest hostages killed by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. Artists4Ceasefire said the pins are meant to “symbolize the urgency of the call to save lives. The orange hand conveys the beautiful community of people from all backgrounds that have come together in support of centering our shared humanity. The heart being cradled in the center of the hand is an invitation for us to lead with our hearts, always, to lead with love.”
The Brigade represents over 700 members and wrote in response that the hand “is no symbol of peace. It is the emblem of Jewish bloodshed.”
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