Security at the Golden Globes increases due to international tensions, causing limousine traffic jams

The traffic jams that Golden Globes attendees faced on Sunday made it clear that while there may not seem as much security on site as in the recent past, the reality is that there is a lot more on the agenda than usual.

Unlike previous years, when there was a wall of SWAT trucks and bomb squads, most of the police presence today in Beverly Hills happened behind the scenes. A police perimeter was set up near the Hilton, 0.2 miles from the entrance, with police cars and motorcycles to provide a black sedan and backup limousine for those arriving on the red carpet.

As Israel’s strong response to Hamas’s murderous Oct. 7 attack sparks protests in Los Angeles County almost every few days, law enforcement on the West Coast reiterates the tough stance the NYPD took on New Year’s Eve. There were reportedly a handful of protesters near the Beverly Hills Hilton today, but due to the tight police cordon and closure of streets around the venue, hardly anyone who went to the Globes saw any of the protesters.

There were no planned authorized protests by pro-Palestinian groups in the Beverly Hills area today. This afternoon, however, there is a protest march to the headquarters of the Israeli Consulate General, less than four miles from the Beverly Hilton, calling for a cease-fire and an end to American aid to Israel.

But after the police began cordoning off the area earlier in the weekend, they took no chances on Sunday.

With police on the streets, cars heading to the Hilton were stuck in traffic for more than 90 minutes. Just like at the Oscars, each bag was searched by hand and also run over by a sniffer dog. We understand agents apologized to guests for the delays and, despite some complaints, received unanimous approval.

Arriving at the Beverly Hilton, nominees, guests and members of the media lined up alongside security guards with dogs as they entered the venue. Attendees told us about multiple searches of women’s handbags and purses and multiple ID scans for media.

“Detectives from the Beverly Hills Police Department’s Intelligence Unit work closely with our neighboring police departments and our federal law enforcement partners to share information about planned protest activity,” said BHPD Lt. Reginald Evans said in a statement to Deadline on Sunday. “We are currently not aware of any risks to the event or its participants. However, we are aware of what is happening in the world.”

“We deployed additional law enforcement personnel to the event and worked with other state and federal law enforcement agencies as well as private security companies,” Evans said. “We look forward to further successful and safe Golden Globes.”

To publicize some of their efforts, the BHPD released a road closure map for today’s Globes.

While the BHPD is in charge when it comes to Globes’ security, LA Country Sheriff’s deputies and private contractors were also present. Hidden from the public eye, the FBI and DHS have also participated in a situation that everyone believes could be more tense than in recent years.

“A high-profile event like this, involving many high-profile individuals and media outlets, requires a well-coordinated response,” a well-informed law enforcement source told Deadline of Today’s Globes, amid the larger context of geopolitical events and increasing anti-Semitism. . “That means following the procedures we normally use, analyzing the chatter and increasing resources where we identify vulnerabilities,” he began, pointing to an increase in digital surveillance in and around the Hilton, in addition to some of today’s ‘s measures.

“No one comes in or out without us knowing,” the source added.

Police and Globe organizers have worried in recent weeks that attendees could face confrontations similar to those facing President Biden and the first lady, who in early December killed a thousand “Free Gaza” protesters outside a fundraiser in Holmby Hills met. The same goes for Vice President Kamala Harris and second in command Doug Emhoff, who in late November faced about two dozen pro-Palestinian protesters outside a fundraiser at the home of entertainment lawyers Cliff Gilbert-Lurie and Leslie Gilbert-Lurie. According to a pool report, some protesters chanted “Free Palestine.” The protesters also threw fake blood outside the house and left their red handprints on the ground.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol data, 151 people trying to enter the country were identified on the FBI’s terrorist watch list in fiscal year 2023 — up from 99 in 2022 and 15 in 2021.

An event like the Golden Globes, known for the political acceptance speeches of winners and whose nominees have already called for a cease-fire in Gaza, draws attention to the perpetrators. Globes nominees who signed an open letter to Biden calling for a ceasefire in Gaza include Bradley Cooper, Lily Gladstone, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, Joaquin Phoenix, David Oyelowo, Wanda Sykes, Selena Gomez, Quinta Brunson and Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook and Brian Cox.

With that in mind, according to Kent Moyer, CEO of event security company World Protection Group, at any awards show or opening night, there are “three rings of protection” around a venue like the Beverly Hilton, and in an elevated situation, law enforcement will also “Take this one.” outer protective ring and move it further outwards.

While full attention will be given to the participants at tonight’s ceremony at the Beverly Hilton, police are well aware that on a productive night like the Globes, there can be distractions, such as a robbery at a luxury store. or a bomb threat in another part of the city.

When it comes to distraction threats at an awards ceremony like this, “(terrorists) can use the ceremony as a drought,” Moyer explained. “Terrorists are trying to figure out how long it will take for the police to respond.”

Baz Bamigboye and Antonia Blyth contributed to this report