LOS ANGELES (CNS) – Sunday’s Oscar ceremony at the Dolby Theatre will be held amid unusually heavy security, ramped up in light of the Middle East war and concerns about possible retaliatory strikes by Iraq.
Security is always tight around the Academy Awards, which will attract scores of A-list celebrities to Hollywood Boulevard. But given the conflict in the Middle East, and a recent unverified report about possible Iran drone strikes targeting California, security measures will be even more extensive during Sunday’s event.
“Every year we monitor what’s going on in the world,” Raj Kapoor, one of the ceremony’s executive producers, told reporters last week. “We have the support of the FBI and the LAPD, and it’s a close collaboration. This show has to run like clockwork. But we want everybody that is coming to this show, that is witnessing the show, that is even a fan of the show when they’re standing outside the barricades, we want everybody to feel safe and protected and welcome, so it’s our job as a producing team to make sure that that translates.”
Law enforcement officials won’t provide specific details about security measures planned for the event. But Los Angeles Police Department officials told reporters a roughly one-mile security perimeter is being established around the Dolby Theatre, and uniformed officers patrolling the area will be assisted by an array of security cameras and other measures, including K-9 units and surveillance drones.
The LAPD has already been on a heightened alert since the start of the Iraq war, and it stepped up patrols on Thursday following an attack on a synagogue in Michigan.
“The LAPD remains vigilant and committed to protecting our diverse communities,” the department said in a statement Thursday. “Out of an abundance of caution, the department has increased visible patrols around houses of worship and associated schools, as well as cultural centers across the city.
“The LAPD will continue working with our local, state, national, and international partners to monitor developments and ensure the safety of all Angelenos. Together, we stand united against hate and violence in all its forms.”
Earlier in the week, ABC News reported that the FBI has issued an alert to California law enforcement agencies about possible Iranian drone strikes being considered in the wake of the U.S.-Israeli attacks in the Middle East.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt condemned the ABC News report, denying that any such threat exists, and saying the story was based on an email that was sent to law enforcement agencies about a “single, unverified tip.”
“To be clear, no such threat from Iran to our homeland exists, and it never did,” Leavitt wrote on social media.
State and local officials, however, were taking the possibility seriously. Gov. Gavin Newsom said he was aware of the possible drone threat, adding that the state’s emergency operations center has been activated since the war began.
“We have been working collaboratively through the (operations center), which we established right after the war began — the State Operations Center,” Newsom told reporters. “Working with the Office of Emergency Services, but also working locally to make sure we transmit any information that we have received.”
The LAPD and the sheriff’s department both issued statements saying they were monitoring the situation, noting there were no known credible threats against the Southland.
“We want to reassure every Angeleno that we continue to coordinate with all of our federal, state, and local partners for intelligence and information sharing during the ongoing Middle East conflict,” the LAPD said in its statement. “We share this information in real-time, assess every credible lead, and adjust our posture as needed to ensure the safety of our city. At this time, there are no known or specific threats to Los Angeles. The LAPD remains prepared and committed to maintaining public safety from all potential threats.”
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