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U.S. NEWS Monday 13 noveMber 2017

Hundreds in Hollywood march against sexual harassment

By LINDSEY BAHR wood today #metoomarch
AP Film Writer I am there in spirit. #Solidar-
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Armed ity”
with signs, catchy phrases The peaceful demonstra-
and a motivation to take tion had an air of melan-
#MeToo beyond the inter- choly too. While there was
net and into real life, a few solidarity, fear of retaliation
hundred women, men and persisted.
children gathered Sunday One woman, who did not
among the sex shops and want to give her name for
tourist traps of Hollywood fear of retaliation or law-
Boulevard to protest sexual suit carried a homemade
harassment. sign accusing a sitcom pro-
The Take Back the Work- ducer of grabbing her from
place March and the behind and making a lewd
#MeToo Survivors March remark and suggestive
joined forces in the heart comment.
of Hollywood, near the en- “Thank you to my agent at
trance to the Dolby The- William Morris for telling me
ater where the Academy ‘Keep your mouth shut or
Awards take place. you’ll never work again,’ “
They walked side by side read the other side of the
past the tourists, costume sign. “BTW, you also repre-
shops, strip clubs and a sented my abuser.”
man wearing a “Whiskey Participants march against sexual assault and harassment at the #MeToo March in the Hollywood Schulman said she is hope-
Made Me Do It” T-shirt to section of Los Angeles on Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017. ful, however. Her orga-
gather for a rally of rousing Associated Press nization on Thursday an-
speeches from the likes of ment growing and see- Event organizers estimated or keep their job.” nounced that it is setting up
Harvey Weinstein accuser ing all these people telling there were about 200 to Schulman, who presides a sexual harassment hotline
Lauren Sivan and Oscar- their stories, I have my own 300 attendees. But they over the advocacy group where victims can call for
winning producer Cathy stories too,” Russell said. also acknowledged that Women in Film, told the pro-bono legal counseling
Schulman. “I want to join in with that it was “difficult to tell” with crowd that the sexual ha- and advice. The hotline is
“Not in pots, not in plants, and not be silent with ev- the normal Hollywood Bou- rassment problem can’t be expected to be operation-
keep your junk inside your erything going on.” levard crowds. fixed by just weeding out al by Dec. 1.
pants,” the crowd chanted Her sign, drawn in pink and The crowd walked about a sex criminals. Women, she “I’ve experienced gender
for a few minutes, before purple block letters read: “ mile to the corner of Sunset said, have to be protected bias, salary imparity. I’ve
shifting gears to: “Harvey ‘Slut’ is attacking women Boulevard and Cole, the from prejudice and abuse. been yelled at, disrespect-
Weinstein is a joke, women for their right to say yes.” site of CNN headquarters, Schulman called for diver- ed. I’ve had credit taken
workers just got woke.” Her friend’s read: “ ‘Friend where a podium was set up sifying workplaces and re- from me, I’ve had money
Other chants included, Zone’ is attaching women for the Take Back the Work- forming human resources stolen from me. I’ve been
“Survivors united, we’ll nev- for their right to say no.” place rally. departments. bankrupted twice and
er be divided” and “What- Another attendee, Nancy Sivan, a TV journalist who Although there were not much worse.
ever we wear, wherever Allen, a 52-year-old woman alleged sexual harassment many celebrity attendees And I’ve seen it all. I’ve
we go, ‘yes’ means ‘yes’ from Los Angeles, carried a from Weinstein and served on site, some supported seen every bit of harass-
and ‘no’ means ‘no.’ “ sign that read, “I was 7.” as the “celebrity chair” of the marches from afar. ment and every bit of these
Some came with their fami- “We’ve been silent too the Take Back the Work- “To all my sisters and broth- sex crimes. However, I’ve
lies, some came with friends long,” Allen said. “A lot of place event, said that the ers out there marching to- produced 20 movies, I’ve
and attendees ranged in people have kept this in- time is ripe for a re-ordering day in L.A Sending you love supervised over 150 mov-
age from 4 to over 68. Ais- side us for years and years.” of power. and support from thou- ies, I’ve won an Academy
linn Russell, a 15-year-old Howard Kim, a 68-year-old “We want our daughters sands of miles away!” said Award. I’ve even raised
Los Angeles high school stu- Los Angeles resident, came and sons to be able to go Patricia Arquette on Twitter a 17-year-old daughter,”
dent came with two peers out to support the march. to a workplace and never Sunday. Schulman said. “Do not let
and signs railing against “I’m just a little sorry there have to take a meeting Claire Forlani, another them destroy us. We can
terms like “friend zone” and aren’t more people out with a dude in a bathrobe,” Weinstein accuser, also win this war. It’s a game. It’s
“slut.” here,” Kim said. “I was hop- Sivan said. “They will never tweeted: “To the women a game of power that we
“Seeing the #metoo move- ing there would be.” have to choose to put out and men marching in Holly- can win.”q