LA residents protest ‘Fast & Furious’ filming
LOS ANGELES (NewsNation) — Some Los Angeles residents are fed up with the “Fast & Furious” franchise, which is filming its 10th installment in the Angelino Heights neighborhood Friday and Saturday.
Residents of the historic neighborhood said life is now imitating art as actual illegal street racing is on the rise.
Angelino Heights has become a destination for fans of the franchise, but neighbors have complained of drivers speeding and doing dangerous stunts like the burnouts and donuts they see in the movies.
“Every single day I’ve had to deal with waking up in the middle of the night, having restless sleep, being completely thrown off on my day because I have to deal with this every single day,” said one resident who only gave her first name, Bella.
With production crews back in the area for the franchise’s latest feature, activists fear the glorification of dangerous driving will claim more innocent lives.
“I had to identify my niece’s body on Mother’s Day,” said Lori Argumedo, who lost her niece in a crash. “I had to tell her six-year-old daughter that her mommy is never coming home. She still doesn’t understand that mommy’s never coming home.”
Just a week ago, a takeover in South L.A. was linked with a deadly shooting.
Some believe another film will only mean more trouble.
“So here we are again. They’re making another film that’s going to be glorifying this type of behavior,” said Eli Akira Kaufman of the L.A. County Bicycle Coalition.
NewsNation affiliate KTLA contributed to this report.