Hundreds join #MeToo march in Hollywood against sexual abuse

Published November 13, 2017
Victims of sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexual abuse and their supporters protest during a #MeToo march in Hollywood, California on November 12, 2017. —AFP
Victims of sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexual abuse and their supporters protest during a #MeToo march in Hollywood, California on November 12, 2017. —AFP

Hundreds of people marched on Sunday in Hollywood, joining a growing movement against sexual harassment and abuse that emerged after movie mogul Harvey Weinstein and later a string of film personalities faced accusations of misconduct.

Demonstrators gathered at the iconic Dolby Theatre in Hollywood — which hosts the Academy Awards ceremonies — to draw attention to their cause.

Protesters carried placards that read “The way I dress is not a yes!!! #MeToo,” and “Unite to fight patriarchy.”

The protest comes on the heels of a surge in women and men who have gone public with the gory details of systemic sex abuse by those in positions of power in the film industry and beyond.

The #MeToo campaign to denounce harassment and abuse debuted on Twitter in mid-October, with women across the world revealing their own experiences of sexual harassment.

Read: Female Pakistani journalists share stories of harassment at the workplace

“I'm really happy to come here, because really it's Hollywood that opened this floodgate,” Tarana Burke, who co-founded an organisation called Just Be Inc., told The Los Angeles Times.

“It's really symbolic to have this march happen, not with Hollywood stars, but in Hollywood.”

Last week, comedian Louis C.K. became the latest Hollywood figure to be felled by sex abuse allegations, following producer Weinstein, producer-director Brett Ratner, writer-director James Toback, actor Kevin Spacey and music mogul and TV producer Benny Medina.

Opinion

Editorial

Rigging claims
Updated 04 May, 2024

Rigging claims

The PTI’s allegations are not new; most elections in Pakistan have been controversial, and it is almost a given that results will be challenged by the losing side.
Gaza’s wasteland
04 May, 2024

Gaza’s wasteland

SINCE the start of hostilities on Oct 7, Israel has put in ceaseless efforts to depopulate Gaza, and make the Strip...
Housing scams
04 May, 2024

Housing scams

THE story of illegal housing schemes in Punjab is the story of greed, corruption and plunder. Major players in these...
Under siege
Updated 03 May, 2024

Under siege

Whether through direct censorship, withholding advertising, harassment or violence, the press in Pakistan navigates a hazardous terrain.
Meddlesome ways
03 May, 2024

Meddlesome ways

AFTER this week’s proceedings in the so-called ‘meddling case’, it appears that the majority of judges...
Mass transit mess
03 May, 2024

Mass transit mess

THAT Karachi — one of the world’s largest megacities — does not have a mass transit system worth the name is ...