Melee breaks out as protesters rush stage to protest talk by archaeologist Richard Hansen at L.A. Times Festival of Books.
A melee broke out at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on Sunday evening when activists rushed the Español stage to protest a talk by archaeologist Richard Hansen.
As stunned spectators looked on, a tussle broke out between the demonstrators and some of the event crew who were desperately trying to clear the stage. One stage crew member emerged with a bloodied nose as police arrived quickly at the scene.After several minutes during which protesters continued to shout at Hansen while police formed a line between the demonstrators and the stage, Hansen and Maciel were escorted to a nearby tent for event speakers.
In an interview Sunday evening, Hansen said that he had not been touched during the disruption. He said his laptop was seized by one of the demonstrators but was later recovered. Critics have accused Hansen of wanting to develop the area to increase archaeological tourism in a way that would harm the local population, many of whom are Indigenous.
Critics, including Sunday’s protesters, also have berated Hansen for accepting awards from Guatemalan administrations and business-affiliated groups.
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