SAG-AFTRA Cancels Friday Pickets Due to Safety Concerns

SAG-AFTRA has canceled pickets in New York and Los Angeles on Friday due to “potential safety concerns that are unrelated to our ongoing strike,” the guild announced Thursday night.

“Stay safe and see you on the picket lines next week,” said the statement from SAG-AFTRA. The AMPTP broke off talks with the AMPTP on Wednesday after the two sides failed to come to a deal. The AMPTP said talks had been suspended because the differences between the sides was “too great” and that “conversations are no longer moving us in a productive direction.”

Hamas has called for worldwide pro-Palestine demonstrations on Friday. New York city Mayor Eric Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul said at a press conference Thursday that there are “no credible or specific threats” against the city, NBC reported.

The New York Police Department echoed that there were “no credible, specific threats to New York City” and said, “We are aware of the concern that postings circulating online have caused, and we have increased our uniform deployments at large gatherings and cultural gatherings to ensure public safety out of an abundance of caution.”

The Los Angeles Police Department said it was “aware of recent statements made calling for action as it relates to the conflict in the Middle East. We have no information of any specific or credible threats to the City of Los Angeles but we are continuing to assess the situation for any potential impact to our communities.”

“We will be reaching out to our local Jewish and Muslim communities and will be providing extra patrol during this unimaginable time,” the statement from the LAPD continued.