A “ring of steel” has been erected around the area of the Dolby Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, and several surrounding streets have been blocked off with chainlink fencing, reports The New York Post. The drastic measures are all in preparation to shield Hollywood elites at the upcoming Oscars awards show this coming Sunday.
The 95th Oscars, which take place on Sunday, are trying to avoid pro-Palestine demonstrators who have targeted other red carpet events. Early preparations will involve thousands of law enforcement and security personnel, adds The Post.
Not only will there be “many of the LAPD’s 9,000 officers” but also federal agencies including the FBI as well. An LAPD spokesperson told The Post Monday, “we will deploy enough officers to ensure the safety of all the citizens and Oscar attendees. We hope for the best and are prepared for the worst.”
The Oscars’ security measures will use long-standing protocols designed to prevent protesters attempting to interrupt the Sunday night show, with industry sources claiming they were using the same strict security as in previous years.
However, the steel wall and chainlink fences are to avoid a repeat of the Grammy Awards when arrivals at LA’s Crypto.com Arena were brought to a halt by pro-Palestinian supporters blocking traffic.
The Post notes that an interruption by the protesters would give them a huge platform, with “as many as 20 million Americans watching live, millions more around the world and a much larger social media audience.”
The Post adds that pro-Palestinian marches have brought chaos to many areas since the October 7 terror attacks in Israel. Just last weekend, the NYPD bomb squad “struggled to get to an Uber in Times Square whose driver had discovered a grenade on the back seat.”
On Saturday, First Lady Jill Biden was interrupted by protestors calling for a ceasefire, yelling, “It’s genocide”, while she was speaking on her “Women for Biden-Harris” tour in Tucson, Arizona.
The Post also reports that “any interruption to the red carpet or the show risks highlighting how Hollywood has been at odds over the Israel-Hamas war – with conflicts that have spread within the top talent agencies in Tinseltown.” Sources, however, told The Post that Oscars organizers will not attempt to censor speeches of any winners.