#MeToo: Thousands march in Hollywood against rising sexual harassment allegations
What's the story
Thousands of people took to the streets in Hollywood to speak out for victims of sexual assault and harassment. The march, inspired by the online #MeToo campaign, comes after a series of sexual assault and harassment allegations against a number of top Hollywood personalities. Those accused include producer Harvey Weinstein, actor Kevin Spacey, and comedian Louis CK. Here's more about it.
Significance
March took place along the heart of Hollywood
The #MeToo march started from Hollywood Boulevard, went past the "Walk of Fame" to the CNN headquarters. Most of the marchers were women but several men were also present. "Whatever we wear, wherever we go, 'yes' means 'yes' and 'no' means 'no'," the crowd chanted, along with, "Harvey Weinstein is a joke, women workers just got woke."
Details
#MeToo activist says conversation around harassment should expand
The march was led by Tarana Burke, the activist who created the #MeToo campaign, to reach out to sexual assault victims. "For every Harvey Weinstein, there are a hundred more men in the neighborhood who are doing the exact same thing," Burke said. "The conversation around harassment in Hollywood will broaden to include other industries if we force it to," she added.
Important
#MeToo campaign helped understand the widespread prevalence of sexual assault
Actor Alyssa Milano, one of Weinstein's biggest critics, popularized the #MeToo social media campaign by calling on women to come forward with their experiences of sexual harassment or assault. Within days, millions of women and some men the world-over used the hashtag while disclosing their experiences. Facebook said 4.7 million people were engaged in the #MeToo conversation within 24-hours after campaign's launch.