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Not even a writer for Law & Order can get law and order when he needs it during the WGA strike. News Corp as well as striking writers have confirmed to me that an impatient Fox employee (photo left) driving a black SUV got into a physical fracas with picketing Rene Balcer, showrunner of Law & Order and co-creator of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. The altercation occured while Balcer was legally walking the line in the crosswalk of Fox Studios’ Gate 3 off Avenue Of The Stars in Century City.
The driver’s behavior had escalated all week, witnesses said. First, the Fox white collar worker spent Monday yelling at the striking writers. Then he used his car to nudge a picketer Tuesday. That’s when a strike captain wrote a “Safety Note of the Day: Watch Out For Douchebags” about “some asshole roared up to our picketers and was so angry at having to wait two seconds for them to cross the street that he tapped one of our guys with his fender (lightly; no injury). We got his license plate and took a picture of him. Fortunately, our picketers were following all the Safe Picketing Rules.”
And finally today the driver drove into Balcer, began pushing him with his fender, and then got into a shoving match with the celebrated writer. Here’s one witness account: “It’s Mr. SUV’s turn to wait for us to cross. He does not wait. He plows into us, knocking Rene Balcer back several feet. Then the guy leaps out of his car and takes a swing at Rene, and then shoves him out onto Avenue of the Stars. Thankfully, there was no traffic at that moment.”
Still another witness said on WriterAction: “After Rene is pushed back by the SUV, he shouts at the driver: ‘Hey, that’s assault!’ The driver comes out of the SUV and shouts: ‘I’ll show you assault!’ And then the driver takes his swing.”
As soon as the driver got out of his car and headed towards Balcer, WGA strike captains on the scene called to the Fox security guard to help. But striking writers claim the guard did not respond. That’s when, witnesses say, the driver “got in Balcer’s face” and things got physical. Picketers attempted to grab and restrain the driver. But he shook them off and scrambled back into his car which was waved through the gate by the Fox guard.
After the incident, Balcer called the police. A Fox supervisor came out and looked at photos of the driver and the license plate of his car. About thirty minutes after the incident, the LAPD arrived and took statements from Balcer and witnesses. It’s not certain whether the showrunner intends to press charges. (Maybe it depends on whether Sam Waterston is available to prosecute in Los Angeles County?)
But these car-meets-striker confrontations are no joke. I’m told that News Corp is ”looking into the matter internally” and intends to close that gate because it’s “unsafe” without a traffic light controlling the crosswalk. Most importantly, the Fox altercation runs contrary to instructions which News Corp No 2 Peter Chernin gave his senior staff at the outset of the WGA picketing of Fox Studios: “Be gracious. Don’t be rude. Don’t argue. These guys have every right to do what they’re doing. They believe in their cause just as we believe in ours.”
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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Syd Franks: In what universe is the guy driving the car that hits a pedestrian — even an annoying one — the “innocent”? No amount of antagonism, short of threatening one’s life or safety, warrants purposefully hitting a pedestrian.
Hey Syd?
If this jack ass is really that easy to set up, he’s too immature to be working any place high profile.
@Syd: Whether or not provoking the driver occurred doesn’t give anyone the right to hit anyone with their car for any reason. We’re human beings. Yes, this strike has become burdensome for everyone involved, but there’s no need to escalate to violence for any reason on either side.
Thats crap, HE DROVE HIS VEHICLE INTO A CROWD.
On the ground, and off to the Tombs.
Thats justice.
PC
The picketers were responsible for a guy hitting one of them while they were legally crossing the street? Talk about blaming the victim…
Mr. Franks, your cynicism is unwarranted.
I was there on Tuesday when the SUV screeched to a halt. I had heard nothing of Monday’s shouting (even if I had, how could anybody know shouting would escalate to violence?). But I was five feet away when the lunatic in the SUV nearly ran down a fellow picketer, and before I realized what had happened, the guy was undoing his seat belt and charging toward that picketer. It was obvious this was his intention all along, and he was just waiting for an excuse. Like any rational human being, I was startled, frightened, and then angry. What sort of behavior is this? He screamed that he had to get to work (at 10:16AM, incidentally), but the delay to wait for a striker is at most six or seven seconds. No, this guy was gunning for a fight. And the writer he tapped on Tuesday, to his credit, didn’t give it to him.
The article suggests there was a caution given to writers, but if there was, nobody I know heard about it. (It sounds like it was amusing, though.) Generally, do you assume psychopaths will repeatedly try to drive into human beings? Because I don’t (perhaps foolishly).
So the notion that we have suicide picketers out there trying to martyr themselves by being run over by cars is really a little absurd. I’ve never met Rene Balcer (though as a longtime “Law & Order” viewer, I’ll try to meet him next week at the picket), but are you really suggesting he put himself in the way of a speeding car on purpose?
Still, after this happened three times, we were all properly warned today, and told to be extra cautious. Which we were. As far as I know, the SUV guy didn’t show up today. If he did, he was a model citizen. Good.
Thanks for the sanity, Syd. Assault with a deadly weapon is justified if there’s “antagonism” involved. I mean, hello, there were people in his way! Who hasn’t been in a hurry and plowed somebody down, tough luck, walk faster, pedestrians. The idea that someone who has a short fuse and likes to threaten pedestrians with his car should be given a job that doesn’t require driving or perhaps be committed to a safe place for everyone is for wusses. Nobody should ever forget that “he looked at me funny” is an excuse for going on a shooting rampage, either.
Sorry Syd “I’m easily angered” isn’t an automatic out for anyone, even people in the pocket of the mighty corporations. There is one person and one person only responsible for Mr. SUV’s behavior-that’s Mr. SUV. I find it funny that no matter where you look, even in strike news, you find people who simple refuse personal responsibility. Grow up Syd.
@Syd: You have got to be kidding, right?
I’m so sure these folks, having seen one individual use his automobile as a weapon, were SO eager to antagonize someone who may escalate it to this point. That’s all they need right now, to have injuries on top of being out of work.
Yeah, I’m so sure this was intentional, I “see through” it, too.
Buh.
If you stand in front of a car entering a gate you will get hit. Just like the moron paparazzi who crowed around a car get run over and whine about it. Its the basic laws of physics. 2 objects of equal mass cannot occupy the same space this goes tenfold when an object of much less mass attempts to impede an object with much greater mass. Same goes for people blocking my gate when I go home.
Syd, it doesn’t matter. Road Rage is Road Rage!
If somebody (in the State of California is in the street, That Person has the “Right of Way”. It doesn’t matter what else is happening.
Obviously you’re not a Guild member and have never been part of a picket. I’ve been at half a dozen sites plus a location picket and can guarantee you that strike captains are meticulous about following the letter of the law. We are instructed not to engage with anyone and to stick strictly to public property when we walk. So sorry, Syd, I can assure you nobody deliberately antagonized this guy. However, I have been present when someone actually comes after one of us and can assure you it was an unpleasant experience for everyone. I have never been on a line where the entire group wasn’t on its best behavior. I know there are people out there who’d like us to be arrogant, in-your-face assholes but from my ongoing experience, it just ain’t happening.
previous comment-er Syd, you’re a moron. An SUV is a 3 ton weapon. You should not be allowed to have a drivers license if you do not understand that. It appears, you can have a high level gig at Fox, with that kind of mean spirited attitude though.
This is just a sad situation. Too many people are being affected by corporate greed BS.
It’s clear that there was a concerted effort to antagonize the guy? Since when does observing, noting, and reporting increasingly violent behavior constitute a clear indication of collusion? I’m not saying that it’s not a possibility, but without more information it’s far from a certainty.
Regardless of provocation, there are few situations in which driving your car into a pedestrian (even only a tap) is an acceptable reaction – I doubt that this is one of them.
SoonToBeUnemployed: Just a friendly reminder that it’s not the picketers who may be putting you out of work. It’s the AMPTP. It’s hard for us to negotiate a contract when the other side doesn’t show up.
WOW. What an asshole! No, not the driver (though if this was true, he should be in jail right now), I’m talking about the picketer giving such a “reliable” account and nooooooooo, not skewed in the slightest! It’s amazing Rene Balcer is even alive after the driver “plowed” into them. (I’m surprised he didn’t take a few dozen picketers out). And if that’s not enough, he gets out of the car and takes a swing at Balcer. But no, Balcer didn’t retaliate. Apparently he’s a pacifist! He simply tried to stand his ground. But still, even after being plowed into and being swung at, he still gets shoved into the street. Totally helpless. Oh, and lets not forget the colorful exchange between the two men. Balcer: Hey, that’s assault! Angry Driver: I’ll show you assault! I mean C’mon! Spice up the dialogue! That sounds about as witty as something you’d hear on Law and… well… There’s 3 sides to every story. And there’s one side that no one seems to see and that’s the little guys like the assistants who lost their OT at Fox, or the 1000 or so Employees at WB losing their jobs or the 80 million lost revenue for local businesses. I want to know how many of these picketers stop to think about those things. You’re doing everything but hurting the studios. The studios will just keep making cuts to balance it out!!! You’re hurting the people who need the money most and don’t get paid to type away on their lap tops while sipping on a carmel macchiato. Thinks about that. Also, two words… Extreme Makeover. Some of you people look like you haven’t seen day light in 10 years.
Soon to be Unemployed, you drive thrugh the people who are putting you out of work every day? Can you let us know where and when, because we really want to talk to the AMPTP, if only we could find them. Kay, thanks.
Syd, what do you consider “provocation”? I’ve seen motorists threaten people standing on the street corners with political signs, waving. I’m sure that qualifies, right?
Yeah I’m an idiot, a moron, heck even a Fox employee, duh! How dare I suggest that because the article says strikers were told about this guy, that I should know that the strikers weren’t warned about this guy!
No I don’t think striking any pedestrian with a vehicle is acceptable, in fact he needs to be punished to the full extent of the law. But having said that, this doesn’t mean that I feel the strikers are entirely innocent in this matter.
Yes you have a right to picket, you are able to inconvenience people crossing a picket line, but there are limits to what you should reasonably do.
I’ve been on far more picket lines than most of you, and trust me I have seen many incidents like this. Some are from hot heads who just don’t get the picket line and for whatever reason will drive through them without concern. Others have been orgestrated by picketers, and sometimes despite being told, some picketers take it upon themselves to go the extra distance and take a risk.
I find it interesting how many seem to have been on that picket line and were somehow not told about this numpty with the SUV. Despite the reporting on the incident.
I’ll say once again, I am not justifying the drivers actions, it is clearly illegal, but I do suggest there is a lot more here than meets the eye.
Gotta love you folks that liken what I said to rape victims, you are a very troubled lot.
To which Rupert Murdoch added a subtle “wink, wink.” (Or so I imagine, given his attitudes toward unions.)
Law and Order fans…think for a moment. If a man deliberately tried to run another person over…wouldn’t they be in jail? Charged with a crime? Have legal action pending against them? If Balcer was hit with car…thrown to the ground…would he be charging the driver? OH BY THE WAY – isn’t there a security camera trained on the gate that would have the visual evidence to dispute that the “black SUV” did not in fact hit anyone or “mow” anyone down? YES you morons! No one was hit with anything other than a blow to their egos. There is no light at that entrance and picketers wait until a car approaches at any speed and step right in front of that automobile. If you heard screeching brakes it’s because some driver couldn’t believe a moron would step in front of a speeding car…certainly not for a poor decision to strike…and a strike that is not working…if Balcer was run over – why does the driver have pictures of Balcer taking a picture of the driver yelling at him..Balcer using his nifty 500 dollar Iphone he bought with the money he takes from other writers by claiming STORY CREDIT on every episode…NIKKI FINKE is not a journelist. She is a blogger. A starbucks gift card carrying member of nothing. Where are the fact checks? Where are the facts period? The writers need to realize there is ZERO sympathy among workers at any studio for their cause…you’re acting like millionaire (Balcer) children who aren’t allowed to sit at the grown-up table. Balcer can buy and sell the poor schmuck, or douchebag according to Strke Captain asshole, and yet Balcer spends his morning blocking the guy from entering a gate to get to work. Perhaps it’s time for the writers to quit their guild – because you’re losing everything!
I am deeply suspicious of the people claiming that the picketers at their lots are jerks.
The picketers at my lot have been nothing but polite since day one. The walk across, you wait to turn in, you nod at each other. Two months we’ve been doing this. I say hello to the guys I see every day.
I have heard zero stories from anyone I know about these jerky picketers the mystery commenters claim are so prevalent. But it’d be a good story to spread if you were doing covert PR for the companies, wouldn’t it?
[Nikki, I'm going to send this along again because I think it's important.]
There is no justification whatsoever for the driver to have hit the picketer.
On the other hand, I have walked past this gate many times on my way to picket at the Galaxy gate. In fact, I walked past it just moments after this incident. I did not see it happen. However, I will tell you that one reason I do not stop and picket at that gate is what I perceive to be a degree of petulance on the part of picketers towards the drivers there.
The gate is very, very narrow. One car goes through at a time. There are often about half a dozen picketers there. Because of these factors, picketers walking in a loop from one side to another can keep the roadway permanently blocked. There is no light to cross with or against. I have watched as picketers use this to their advantage. They walk at a pace that is inordinately slow in comparison to the pace at other gates. It is all legal activity.
But is it in the best interests of our side? Our goal in picketing is not to engage in a game of Red Rover with people trying to get onto lots. Our goal is to keep up awareness of the strike and to do our best to get others to support us. The approach to picketing I’ve seen and described at that gate is not helpful. I have watched drivers there patiently waiting for an opening in the picket line turn sour when they see the petulant behavior of the strikers in front of them.
Hold your sign up, let people see we’re still strong, then let them get to their jobs if that’s what they desire to do. Perhaps they will even go in to their jobs inside the studio walls with a more pro-WGA attitude.
SoonToBeUnemployed wrote: “Maybe he just got his pinkslip? Personally, it’s been very frustrating for me to drive through picketers every day knowing they are the ones who are putting me out of work. His actions are inexcusable and shouldn’t have been tolerated by security; but I share some of the same frustration — most people still working on my lot do.”
Dear SoonToBeUnemployed,
Don’t be fooled. The ones putting people out of work are the AMPTP. Just because you don’t have to drive past a line of them every morning doesn’t mean they’re not responsible.
Wow, there seems to be a lot of hyperbole in these talk-backs. And misinformation. Syd Franks, Jr claims that “the crosswalk said walk” to illustrate a point. Um…that gate doesn’t have a crosswalk, or a light. That’s why it’s so dangerous for both picketers and drivers. At least get your facts straight on basics like that. Drivers pulling in have to wait for picketers to clear the walk, and then use that opportunity to pull in. And the picketer has antagonized drivers by using his legal right as a pedestrian to step towards drivers just when they thought it was safe to go in. I have heard several complaints from co-workers in this regard. Picketers, as pedestrians, of course have right-of-way. But if they choose to step out when a car finally makes its turn, well then you enter a gray area, no? I’ve watched picketers at the main gate, where there is a light (driver’s green to turn, as well as pedestrian’s right to cross): the picketers begin crossing, and then when they get to the half-way mark, a driver will take that perceived-to-be-safe opportunity to pull in. But wait!! Just as the driver does that, the picketers turn around when they are only half-way through, and start walking back in the opposite direction to impede the car’s entrance. Whether it’s legal or not is beside the point. It’s just dumb when it comes to maintaining safety.
I’m sympathetic to the writers (although peeved that I can’t shop my scripts and get the hell out of student loan debt), but I am discouraged by the self-righteous behavior of many of these writers. Everyone is suffering. Not just them.
Let me start by saying whoever used there car to show their aggression against the picketers is a Neanderthal. He definitely deserves consequences. Period.
I do want to add though, that I work at Fox and I enter through that gate daily. Since the New Year, the picketers have become more aggressive. They wait for a car to pull into the turning lane and then intentionally cross just as you wish to pull through the gate. Of course it is their right to cross the driveway whenever they see fit, but it is clearly an intentional way of getting a rise out of everyone who must drive through. I guess they want eye contact, or they want to inconvenience you just alittle bit more. My immediate family and friends (non-writers) have lost their jobs through the ripple effect so believe me – I am already inconvenienced. Do you really think it will escalate negotiations by (legally and peacefully) taunting cars of people like me who are not the decision-makers? I find it to just be a waste of energy for both of us.