The Academy Awards always attract a huge amount of attention and is seen as the highlight of the calendar year for both celebrity and film.
However, the continuing wave of shooting attacks in the US - the most recent being San Bernadino, California which saw 14 people shot and killed - have meant that security at large events and gatherings is being tightened, with the Oscars being no different.
According to a report by Deadline, this year's Academy Awards will be one of the most heavily-protected in recent years. SWAT teams with bulletproof vests, bomb-sniffer dogs and sophisticated surveillance equipment are all being deployed and used throughout the entire ceremony, not to mention an exhaustive screening and vetting process for anyone working or attending the ceremony.
Thankfully, it's understood that there is no intelligence suggesting an attack at this year's Oscars, however no chances are being taken. Horace Frank, an officer with LAPD's Counter-Terrorism & Special Operations Bureau said that "some security measures will not be visible to the public. We will have a lot of cameras. We can use them in a covert manner or an overt manner. At this event, it will be used in both capacities. They can be easily disguised, and they provide a perfect picture."
It's not yet known if any protests will take place at the ceremony, as the #OscarsSoWhite boycott continues. The latest to refuse attendance is transgender musician Anohni, who was nominated for Best Original Song. Anohni penned an essay for Pitchfork that blasted both the Academy and announced her intention to boycott the ceremony.
Via Deadline