‘Fast & Furious’ filming draws protest in LA neighborhood

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Residents and supporters protested Friday against the filming of a new “Fast & Furious” movie in a Los Angeles neighborhood where locations that appeared in past installments of the action franchise have drawn illegal racing and street takeovers to the area.

About 20 protesters with photos of street racing victims marched near the movie filming site in Angelino Heights, chanting “Street racing kills. Race on a track. Film in studio.”

FilmLA, which handles film permits for the city, recently notified residents that the 10th film in the series would be filmed Friday and Saturday, the Los Angeles Times reported this week.

NBCUniversal, the company behind the films, did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment on the protest.

Angelino Heights is one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods. A house and a small corner market are distinctive locations that have appeared in previous films. Tire marks left by cars spinning in circles scar some streets.

The residents drew support from the organization Streets Are For Everyone, which works to reduce traffic fatalities.

“Because of the ‘Fast and Furious’ films this is a tourist destination for street racing and takeovers,” Executive Director Damian Kevitt said in an interview with KTLA-TV.

Not everyone was opposed to the movie production.

“This is Hollywood. This is Los Angeles. Let them film. This is what they do here,” said Abraham Boche, a local resident.