Holding up signs and photos of loved ones who have died in crashes, a small group rallied in L.A.’s Angelino Heights neighborhood Friday to protest the filming of the latest “Fast & Furious” film.
They argue the popular Universal Pictures franchise glorifies illegal street racing and street takeovers that have increased in the Los Angeles area in recent years.
“It’s super dangerous,” one Angelino Heights resident told the crowd. “It doesn’t take a smart person to figure out that if you lose control, you’re going to hit somebody or something.”
“Fast X,” the 10th installment of the “Fast & Furious” series, was scheduled to film Friday and Saturday at the “Toretto House” – the fictional home of Vin Diesel’s character Dominic Toretto.
Several nights a week, residents say their neighborhood is plagued by drivers doing “donuts” and driving recklessly inspired, in part, by the films.
“That’s what started it, and now it’s out of control,” another resident, Joe Martinez, told KTLA.
Residents want the city to take a zero-tolerance approach to street racing in the neighborhood by installing barriers and speed bumps. Some also want the filming moved elsewhere.
So far, NBCUniversal has not responded to KTLA’s requests for comment.