5 Arrested in Protest Over Gangs Movie

A protest over a soon-to-be-released movie about warring street gangs took a violent turn itself Tuesday when some Guardian Angels stormed the Century City high-rise headquarters of Orion Pictures Corp. and sparked a confrontation with security guards and Los Angeles police.

Five members of the self-styled anti-crime group were arrested on suspicion of battery after the altercation in the building lobby at 1888 Century Park East.

The Angels said they were attempting to present Orion officials with six red-stained dollar bills symbolizing the “blood money” they claimed the movie “Colors” will earn.

The incident followed lunch-hour picketing outside the Orion offices by 15 Angels and an appeal by the group to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to ban the film.

Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, who was among those arrested, said county officials should reject movie permit applications for such films and refuse to let actors ride along with sheriff’s deputies, as Sean Penn was allowed to do in preparing for the film.

The supervisors were noncommittal to Sliwa’s requests.

Sliwa said the film, which also stars actor Robert Duvall, glorifies “dope-sucking, psychotic-crazed young mutants” responsible for street violence.

The makers of the movie, which opens Friday in 70 theaters in California, have denied that it glorifies street gangs.

“Colors” also was criticized Tuesday by a group of black activists in Lynwood who called for a boycott of the film. The group of religious leaders, city officials and anti-gang workers called for the boycott to prevent possible gang violence following the screenings.

“Just imagine Crips and Bloods (gang members) sitting in a theater and eating popcorn and watching this movie together,” said Carolyn Driver, leader of Youth Organized and United for Community Action Network Inc., an anti-drug and -gang education group. “Why should we have a movie that shows gang violence when we live it on a daily basis.”