I went to Union Station today to document the Oscars. Instead, I ended up talking with a neighbor, Ash (they/them), who said that the event had prevented them and others with disabilities who live nearby from accessing Union Station for the last month.

Ash made a direct address to Academy members, asking if the ceremony was worth the cost to the community.

Ash says that access to Union Station has been limited for nearly a month. The event also limited parking in the front of the station, one of the more convenient parking areas.

None of the neighbors were consulted in advance of the closures, Ash says. They were given a few days notice via email.

Ash points out that numerous other venues are close by that would not disrupt use of a public utility.

At no point in the last month had Ash heard from city or county staff or representatives, they say.

Ash, who is Black, adds that they have felt afraid going outside their home given the increased private security and police presence.

There were no flyers or other forms of information telling the public what would be closed and when, Ash says.

“There’s been no easy to access information on what people need to do to plan ahead.”

“Who agreed that it was appropriate to use this public space for this for-profit event at the detriment to the community?” Ash asks. “Who signed off on that?”

After our interview, Ash texted me a few photos their girlfriend took of the bus stop on Caesar Chavez & Alameda showing multiple semi trucks blocking the stop. They believe the trucks were from the Oscars.

I forgot to tag Ash earlier in the thread. Thank you again so much for speaking with me! @somuchpanash

Here is a thread of all of my clips with captions. Super thankful to @i_miss_the_days for putting this together and for others who made sure that captions were available. I'll prioritize captions going forward whenever possible! https://twitter.com/i_miss_the_days/status/1386536387084644352?s=20

Additional context: Reporter @ACatWithNews spoke with a local unhoused man who lived in a park near Union Station. He said that he was told to leave in the lead up to the Oscars and was not offered housing or shelter. https://twitter.com/ACatWithNews/status/1386395082400485382?s=20