Two members of the Writers Guild of America participating in the ongoing strike said Thursday night that they were intentionally hit by a car while picketing Universal Studios earlier in the day.
In accounts posted to their Twitter accounts, writers Shawn DePascale and Nick Parker described a harrowing scene at Universal City, an unincorporated part of Los Angeles County that is home to Universal Studios. They say a driver saw them carrying picket signs at the crosswalk, then killed them both before speeding in their direction and giving the striking writers the finger as he fled the scene.
They say they managed to avoid serious injury, and have consulted a WGA lawyer.
“At the picket line at Universal today, @nick_parkour and I were hit by an aggressive man driving a blue car leaving Uni at Lankershim. Luckily, we saw him speeding up on us and were able to avoid serious injury, but he definitely hit us and then flipped us and walked away,” DePasquale wrote.
“Thankfully, we got immediate support on that inning from the captain and then from @TheJudalina and then from a WGA lawyer. I guess that’s all I can say about it right now… but yeah, it was an interesting day. ‘
Parker corroborated DePascule’s account, writing, “Yes, this craziness happened. In front of dozens of witnesses while we were exercising our rights to freedom of speech and assembly – in a crosswalk. And he wanted to do it. Just proof that what we’re doing… It’s working. They are feeling it. I’ll see you there tomorrow.
“For those asking how we’re doing, thanks. Really. No serious injuries. Just scary to see someone look you in the eye and then choose to hit you with their car, Parker said.
Representatives for the WGA did not immediately respond to a request for comment from TheWrap.
WGA members have been on strike since Tuesday after their contract with the studio expired and the two sides were unable to reach a new agreement. Guild members are attempting to reverse what they say is a tendency to exploit writers given that “a gig economy” now exists in Hollywood. They also cite the huge paychecks earned by studio owners, at the same time compensation for creatives has declined significantly.
In a statement on Thursday, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers pushed back, saying that the WGA’s demands were “inconsistent with the creative nature of our industry.”