Tuesday, November 20, 2007, the producers and studios discovered how serious writers, actors and other are about the rights of writers as Hollywood Blvd was shut down for a march of thousands. Conservative estimates, placing the crowd at 4000 are considered ridiculously low by anyone who looked at the aerial photos of the event. One observer commented that the producers must have come up with the 4000 figure.
Most prominent among the crowd were members of the Screen Actors Guild, which included SAG President Alan Rosenberg and thousands of actors. SAG members were told to arrive half an hour early. To their surprise, T-shirts and signs were gone, due to the overwhelming early turnout buy SAG and WGA members. In this crowd, everyone was unified behind the right of the writers to get their fair share. Americans are tired of a disproportionate amount of wealth being distributed to the top five percent with those doing virtually all of the work getting very little of the wealth. Fed up, writers are demanding their fair share from producers and studio executives. Next year, the Screen Actors Guild may be out on strike.
Various public leaders were present. When the names were read, the biggest applause went to former assemblyman Paul Koretz, who, last year, filed impeachment legislation in the California Assembly against George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. That legislation was killed by Speaker Fabian Nunez.
The Wild Bunch, a group of actors and actresses who have been involved in hundreds of films and who usually do security at SAG events, turned up to march, accompanied by a white German Shepherd. Grey's Anatomy star Sandra Oh was among the speakers. A number of singers, such as Alicia Keyes, who performed before the march, came in support.
Other unions present included the Teamsters, SEIU, AFSME, Machinists, and the IBEW were present. A letter of support from the Steelworkers was read from the stage. Also present, were members of the reputable organization, the California Bar Association. Representatives from the Creative Youth News Team were also present. Some members of the CYNT are also SAG members. When the names of the unions were called out the largest reaction and applause came from the thousands of SAG members.
It was a great day. Later that day, the parking patrol was out in full force, towing cars away from the meters in front of the Screen Actors Guild headquarters - even where time was left on the meter. There are signs that are easy to miss on Wilshire that limit the hours. One minute into a bad time and the car is gone and the cost to get it back is $140. A word of advice to all out-of-town SAG members: park in the lot. They even tow cars with handicapped placards from the street.
Copyright ©2007 by the Creative Youth News Team. All rights reserved.