Hollywood actors and their allies rallied in Beverly Hills on Friday to protest President Trump’s executive order that temporarily banned refugees and blocked immigrants from several Muslim-majority countries with high-terror risk.
The “United Voices” rally, set just days before the Academy Awards ceremony, boasted a lineup of speakers that included Jodie Foster, Michael J. Fox and California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Foster, who said she typically is “not very comfortable” with public activism, urged those in attendance to “show up” and “engage.”
Jodie Foster: "This industry is in the business of humanity." #unitedvoices pic.twitter.com/GEOcu0lBni— Rebecca Sun (@therebeccasun) February 25, 2017
“We are the lucky ones,” said Fox, who was born in Canada and became a U.S. citizen.
"We're the lucky ones," says Michael J. Fox, who became a citizen about 20 years ago #unitedvoices pic.twitter.com/78LSBGdRZ8— Rebecca Sun (@therebeccasun) February 25, 2017
“I’m proud to stand here today in support of values and principles that I admire,” Fox said. “You have people who have given up everything, who have lost everything they have. They are struggling to keep their families alive and keep food in their mouths and disease away from their bodies and took tremendous risk to get to this country, and we say no?”
One of the three Trump supporters gets into altercation with a man trying to contain him: "Calm down" #unitedvoices pic.twitter.com/frAk2erji0— Rebecca Sun (@therebeccasun) February 24, 2017
Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, who made headlines when he announced he would not be attending the Oscars this year after Trump signed off on the travel ban, also addressed the crowd of about 1,500 people, via video message. Trump’s travel ban was put on hold by a federal judge on Feb. 3.
Video posted to social media shows that a few Trump supporters were in attendance, and got into a bit of a scuffle with at least one of the rally participants.
Hollywood Reporter estimated about 1,500 agents, clients and others had gathered for the event in the plaza outside United Talent Agency’s Beverly Hills offices.
UTA had canceled their annual Academy Awards party this year and instead donated $250,000 to the American Civil Liberties Union and International Rescue Committee.
