Los Angeles: The 96th annual Academy Awards are scheduled to take place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles on March 10. Big names like Jodie Foster, Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper, and Robert Downey Jr. are among the actors nominated. Now, in the latest development, Oscar organisers have planned to prevent demonstrators disrupting the 96th Academy Awards by bolstering up security.
“We are well aware of the protesters, we have a number of back-up scenarios we can activate quickly if needed,” a senior security official working at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said, while talking about the anti-Gaza War demonstrators expected to converge around Hollywood and Highland. Proclaiming “no awards during a genocide” and a collation of pro-Palestine and pro-ceasefire groups are scheduled to meet up Sunday near the venue has now shuttered, reported a daily.
“We will not let people turn away from the atrocities in Gaza. We are taking action and making sure Palestine will not be ignored for some glitz and glam,” Film Workers for Palestine and SAG-AFTRA for Ceasefire stated earlier this week, ahead of their self-described “Action on Oscars Sunday.” The organisers’ plan to stop protestors from stealing the spotlight as Oscars are being kept under secrecy. However, the intention is to keep arriving attendees far away from the protesters flooding the streets.
The ultimate goal of organisers is to also make sure nominees, presenters and guests have the opportunity to walk the red carpet. “Officers are working closely with event organisers and security agencies, implementing comprehensive measures to ensure a safe Oscars experience for all,” Los Angeles Police Department Commander Randy Goddard said of the police’s role. “LAPD is bolstering security to prevent disruptions by demonstrators,” Goddard added. “LAPD will ensure the safe arrival and entry of guests into the Oscars venue, alongside maintaining a secure environment for the event,” he added. (With agency inputs)
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