Homeless people were moved out of Union Station ahead of the Oscars, according to local reports.
The 93rd Academy Awards ceremony to honor the best films of late 2020 and early 2021 will be broadcast live from Union Station in Los Angeles, prompting officials to clear the train station of homeless people who live there, local outlets said.
“They came to us about a week ago saying that we had to move by Friday 6 p.m. because they were trying to clean up for the Oscars, and they told us if we didn’t move, they were gonna just demolish our stuff,” a man identified as “DJ” who lives in a tent told Fox 11 Los Angeles.
DJ said authorities attempted to relocate the station’s homeless population due to optics.
“They forced us to go to the Grand Hotel on Third and Figueroa, and they kicked everybody out of Union Station so it looks better for the image,” he added.
City Councilman Kevin de Leon disputed DJ’s account.
“While the 93rd Academy Awards are being held at Union Station this year, and despite irresponsible rumors, NO unhoused residents are being forced to relocate. Since being sworn in, my office has been painstakingly working to house those experiencing homelessness throughout my district and we were able to offer housing options to unhoused residents in the vicinity of Union Station,” he said in a statement to the outlet.
DJ responded to the city of Los Angeles with a piece of advice.
“If you’re gonna have your awards show, don’t have it where the homeless people are, and you don’t have to worry about it,” he said.
Sunday evening’s Oscars, which will air at 5 p.m. local time, are set to make history. The awards ceremony marks the first time two actors of Asian descent were nominated for best actor, the first time an all-black producing team was nominated for best picture, and the first time two women were nominated for best director.
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Despite the historic slate of nominees, the ceremony is expected to garner low viewership, with many viewers planning to tune out if the winners’ speeches veer into politics. The anticipated low ratings have affected the broadcast’s slate of advertisements, and ABC has asked for less money to run 30-second advertisements.
“We’re really not getting much advertiser interest,” said Michelle Chong, planning director at the agency Fitzco. “And it’s not something we’ve been pushing.”
