In advance of massive crowds turning out for annual LA Pride events and a planned protest march against anti-gay, anti-diverse forces, city and law enforcement authorities warned motorists Tuesday that a series of streets will be closed in the West Hollywood and Hollywood areas this weekend.
In West Hollywood, where the two-day LA Pride Festival will take place Saturday and Sunday, streets closures will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday, with San Vicente Boulevard closing between Melrose Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard. That stretch will remain closed until 8 a.m. Monday.
On Friday, to accommodate the Dyke March, Holloway Drive will be closed from 5 to 10 p.m. between Santa Monica Boulevard and Hacienda Place. Starting around 8 p.m., Santa Monica Boulevard will close briefly between La Cienega Boulevard and San Vicente to accommodate the march.
On Sunday, the annual Pride Parade will be replaced by what has been dubbed the #ResistMarch beginning in Hollywood. The event is scheduled to begin with speakers and a rally at 9 a.m., but participants will likely begin gathering as early as 8 a.m. at Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue. After hearing from speakers, the march will move south on La Brea Avenue, west on Sunset Boulevard, south on Fairfax Avenue, then west on Santa Monica Boulevard, ending at the Pride Festival in West Hollywood.
According to the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, Hollywood Boulevard will be closed between Highland and La Brea avenues from 6 a.m. to noon Sunday. The following streets are expected to close at 9 a.m. until the march ends, but the closures could begin earlier depending on the event:
— La Brea between Hollywood and Sunset;
— Sunset between La Brea and Fairfax;
— Fairfax between Sunset and Santa Monica; and
— Santa Monica between Fairfax and into the city of West Hollywood.
Sunset is expected to be closed between Highland and La Brea for the event, as will westbound Franklin Avenue between Highland and La Brea.
The festival website said this year’s march will not have floats nor be as organized as usual, as it is designed to communicate a message opposing governmental policies restricting diversity. The site warned participants to avoid bringing anything that could be used as a weapon, including metal or some wood sticks for holding protest signs. And the site urged participants to avoid confrontations with counter-protesters. “When they go low, we go high,” the site said, recalling failed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s comments last year.
–City News Service