Protests delay the start of the 2024 Oscars ceremony

The 2024 Oscars was momentarily delayed because of protesters converging in Hollywood to call for an immediate cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war.

The Dolby Theatre ceremony, initially scheduled to start at 4 p.m., didn’t get rolling until six minutes after the hour. Once ABC’s red carpet coverage ran a few minutes over, the telecast was delayed by a commercial break — a solution likely to allow more time for any famous guests running behind to grab their seats.

The demonstration, which involved about 1,000 protesters, backed up the arrivals of A-listers on the red carpet, with approximately 350 protesters blocking the cavalcade of limousines at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Highland Avenue. “Killers of the Flower Moon” actor Lily Gladstone, nominated for lead actress, was spotted exiting her vehicle and riding a golf cart to the theater .

Otherwise, attendees opted to walk the remaining distance up Highland to the venue — more so men, less so women in heels — to make the start time. Christoph Waltz, with a bit of sweat on his brow, strolled from the limo checkpoint at Sunset and Highland where it had been stalled for at least 10 minutes. Waltz could be heard telling his publicist that the police and the protesters looked like they were about to “get into a big fight.”

The delay took place when the telecast had already been moved up one hour earlier. Host Jimmy Kimmel referenced the ceremony’s tardiness at the top of his monologue: “Congratulations to each and every one of you for making it to the Academy Awards and for making it on time,” he said. “The show, as you know, was starting an hour earlier this year. But don’t worry, we’ll still end very, very late. We’re already five minutes over and I am not joking.”

Staff writer Amy Kaufman contributed to this report.

The 2024 Oscars was momentarily delayed because of protesters converging in Hollywood to call for an immediate cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war.

The Dolby Theatre ceremony, initially scheduled to start at 4 p.m., didn’t get rolling until six minutes after the hour. Once ABC’s red carpet coverage ran a few minutes over, the telecast was delayed by a commercial break — a solution likely to allow more time for any famous guests running behind to grab their seats.

The demonstration, which involved about 1,000 protesters, backed up the arrivals of A-listers on the red carpet, with approximately 350 protesters blocking the cavalcade of limousines at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Highland Avenue. “Killers of the Flower Moon” actor Lily Gladstone, nominated for lead actress, was spotted exiting her vehicle and riding a golf cart to the theater .

Otherwise, attendees opted to walk the remaining distance up Highland to the venue — more so men, less so women in heels — to make the start time. Christoph Waltz, with a bit of sweat on his brow, strolled from the limo checkpoint at Sunset and Highland where it had been stalled for at least 10 minutes. Waltz could be heard telling his publicist that the police and the protesters looked like they were about to “get into a big fight.”

The delay took place when the telecast had already been moved up one hour earlier. Host Jimmy Kimmel referenced the ceremony’s tardiness at the top of his monologue: “Congratulations to each and every one of you for making it to the Academy Awards and for making it on time,” he said. “The show, as you know, was starting an hour earlier this year. But don’t worry, we’ll still end very, very late. We’re already five minutes over and I am not joking.”

Staff writer Amy Kaufman contributed to this report.

Oscargoers walked through the police line to get to the ceremonies. Los Angeles police bolstered patrols in the area in anticipation of protests and pushed back protesters who tried to block people from the checkpoint entry on Highland.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)