Los Angeles residents protest 'Fast and Furious' street races
A Los Angeles neighbourhood featured in the "Fast and Furious" movies held protests against the filming of the franchise's latest instalment, claiming the community has been blighted by a spate of illegal and dangerous street racing.
Residents voiced anger at this weekend's planned taping of "Fast X" in Angelino Heights, a historic area near downtown Los Angeles which is home to Vin Diesel's fictional character Dominic Toretto in the wildly popular, long-running film series.
The movies depict the underground world of street racing, helping to popularise practices such as "street takeovers" in which crowds gather -- usually at night -- to watch cars rev their engines and screech at high speeds around city streets.
Damian Kevitt, a local resident and founder of Streets Are For Everyone (SAFE), said the Hollywood film series "glorifies an illegal activity" and as a result Angelino Heights had become "a tourist destination for illegal street racing."
Los Angeles has seen a 30 percent increase in fatalities and a 21 percent increase in serious injuries due to traffic violence over the last year, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The group has also asked Universal to add a disclaimer to the "Fast and Furious" movies discouraging street racing.
"Fast X" is due to be released next May.
