LA Investigating Tree Pruning Near Picket Line

Los Angeles officials are investigating complaints that NBCUniversal pruned trees along the route where writers and actors are currently picketing.

Demonstrators complained on Tuesday that the trees lining the sidewalk near NBCUniversal's studio had been drastically trimmed, greatly reducing the amount of shade available to picketers as they demonstrate against various Hollywood studios as part of the ongoing strike by the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actor's Guild.

Comedian and TV writer Chris Stephens told The Washington Post, "It seemed like a deliberate move to make things a little more uncomfortable for everybody, right when the pressure got turned up."

"Our Office is investigating the tree trimming that occurred outside Universal Studios where workers, writers, and actors are exercising their right to picket," LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia tweeted on Tuesday. "The trimmed trees are LA City managed street trees."

"It's just been very frustrating, trying to get people to come out here and picket these gates," said Deric A. Hughes, a co-executive producer on "Quantum Leap" who sits on the Writers Guild of America Board of Directors, according to Deadline. "It's just very suspect. If this was done by the city, why didn't they trim the trees" on the other side of the street as well?

A spokesperson for NBCUniversal confirmed that the company had the trees pruned, but denied that it was done to hamper demonstrations near the studio.

"We understand that the safety tree trimming of the Ficus trees we did on Barham Blvd. has created unintended challenges for demonstrators, that was not our intention," the spokesperson said in a statement. "In partnership with licensed arborists, we have pruned these trees annually at this time of year to ensure that the canopies are light ahead of the high wind season. We support the WGA and SAG's right to demonstrate, and are working to provide some shade coverage. We continue to openly communicate with the labor leaders on-site to work together during this time."

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