Hundreds of protesters march against sexual abuse in Hollywood
Hundreds of people took to the streets of Hollywood this weekend to show support for the victims of sexual misconduct.
Inspired by the hugely successful #MeToo Twitter campaign, men and women marched along Hollywood Boulevard and the Walk of Fame, in a effort to combat a “culture of sexual abuse” in the entertainment industry.
The demonstration follows a number of allegations made against prominent figures in Hollywood including Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, and most recently, comedian Louis C.K.
In the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, sexual assault survivors speak out in advance of Sunday’s #metoo march in Hollywood. They say the issue of harassment and assault extends beyond the entertainment industry. pic.twitter.com/FUyA8tfz9Y
— Melissa MacBride (@abc7melissa) November 8, 2017
According to Sky News, Tara McNamarra, a 21-year-old protester at the march said: “I've been sexually assaulted multiple times throughout my life.”
"It's affected me in every aspect of my life."
#MeToo is the brainchild of social activist, Tarana Burke, who created the hashtag in the wake of the Weinstein allegations.
It was later popularised on social media by actress, Alyssa Milano, who shared the message with her Twitter followers.
If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet. pic.twitter.com/k2oeCiUf9n
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) October 15, 2017
Ahead of Sunday march, Tarana wrote on Facebook: “For every Harvey Weinstein, there's a hundred more men in the neighbourhood who are doing the exact same thing.”
“What we're seeing, at least for now, is a unity of survivors, a community of survivors that have grown out of this #MeToo viral moment, that I'm just hoping and praying that we can sustain.”
Organisers say they hope the march will help to unite survivors of sexual assault and encourage more victim to tp talk about their experiences.
