Thousands of protestors temporarily shut down Disneyland entrance

A protest attended by over 1,000 demonstrators temporarily shut off vehicular traffic to Disneyland’s eastern entrance on Saturday afternoon.

Protestors calling attention to the Walt Disney Company’s financial support of Israeli aid organizations marched up and down Harbor Boulevard from 1 p.m. to approximately 4:30 p.m., causing the Anaheim Police Department to shut down traffic in the area. The protest was peaceful and no arrests were made, APD’s public information officer, Sgt. Jon McClintock, told SFGATE.

The action was the first pro-Palestine protest to ever take place at the park, according to Rida Hamida, founder of Latino Muslim Unity. The organization spearheaded the demonstration alongside Jewish Voice for Peace, the Islamic Society of Orange County, Los Angeles’ chapter of Black Lives Matter, and other local groups.

“People need to recognize that these corporations are complicit, that Disney is complicit with genocide,” Hamida told SFGATE.

Participants held signs that said, “Shame on Disney,” “The happiest place on Earth kills children,” and “Stop funding Israel terror” – referring to the company’s recent donation of $2 million to organizations that provide humanitarian relief to Israel.

“Disney has failed to recognize, condemn or even send some type of message that is empathetic to Palestinian suffering and the genocide that’s happening in Gaza,” Hamida said. “So the message here is: shame on Disney for not seeing that Palestinian children matter, and are just as equal as Israeli children.”

Spectrum News reported that Disneyland covered its marquee sign on Harbor Boulevard during the demonstration. Hamida said she believes that this was to prevent the park from being associated with the protest in photos or videos.

“With today’s demonstration, our focus was on the safety and well-being of our guests, our cast members and employees, and the protestors, and we coordinated closely with public safety officials and community leaders to help maintain order,” a Disneyland spokesperson told SFGATE in a statement. The spokesperson did not comment on the park’s decision to cover its marquee sign.

Following the action, three Disneyland employees told protest organizers that they were quitting their jobs on the spot after learning of the company’s donations to Israeli aid organizations, Hamida said.

“When they found out that Disney was giving $2 million to Israeli relief efforts when they themselves can’t even afford to pay their rent, they said they were quitting right there and then,” Hamida said.

Harbor Boulevard reopened and traffic in the area resumed following the protest, McClintock confirmed.