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

Region on edge
Updated 27 Oct, 2024

Region on edge

If the global community is serious about de-escalation in the region, it must call for an immediate, unconditional ceasefire in Gaza.
Series win, at last
27 Oct, 2024

Series win, at last

NOMAN Ali and Sajid Khan walked off after England’s second innings, jointly holding the ball having all but ...
Crimes of collusion
27 Oct, 2024

Crimes of collusion

MULTIPLE socioeconomic factors propel criminal practices. Preying on the poor for astronomical profit tops the list....
Selling PIA
Updated 26 Oct, 2024

Selling PIA

Aurangzeb’s assertion that govt hopes to finalise the privatisation next month indicates issues with shortlisted bidders will be resolved soon.
Anti-Muslim bias
26 Oct, 2024

Anti-Muslim bias

RECENT findings of the EU’s human rights agency point to a troubling rise in bias against the bloc’s 26m ...
On the pulse
26 Oct, 2024

On the pulse

HEART disease is fast becoming an epidemic in Pakistan, increasingly affecting younger populations. Karachi, for...