Hollywood Walk of Fame

==Theft and vandalism==
Acts of vandalism on the Walk of Fame have ranged from profanity and political statements written on stars with markers and paint to damage with heavy tools.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://listverse.com/2018/01/04/10-celebrities-whose-walk-of-fame-stars-were-vandalized/|title=10 Celebrities Whose Walk Of Fame Stars Were Vandalized|website=listverse.com|publisher=Listverse Ltd.|first=Leigh|last=Paul|date=January 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106232808/http://listverse.com/2018/01/04/10-celebrities-whose-walk-of-fame-stars-were-vandalized/|archive-date=November 6, 2018|url-status=live|access-date=December 4, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://sfvmedia.com/sfv/four-stars-vandalized-walk-fame/|title=Four Stars Vandalized On Hollywood Walk of Fame|website=sfvmedia.com|publisher=San Fernando News, Port Media Solutions LLC|date=November 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181204082048/https://sfvmedia.com/sfv/four-stars-vandalized-walk-fame/|archive-date=December 4, 2018|url-status=live|access-date=December 4, 2018}}</ref> Vandals have also tried to chisel out the brass category emblems embedded in the stars below the names,<ref name="starthefts">{{cite news|last=Pool|first=Bob|date=November 30, 2005|url=https://articles.latimes.com/2005/nov/30/local/me-star30|title=A Star is Torn from Boulevard|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121231714/http://articles.latimes.com/2005/nov/30/local/me-star30|archive-date=November 21, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> and have even stolen a statue component of ''The Four Ladies of Hollywood''.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Fry|first=Hannah|date=June 25, 2019|title=Marilyn Monroe sculpture thief previously took a pickax to Trump's star, police say|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-marilyn-monroe-statue-theft-charges-20190625-story.html|access-date=August 20, 2020|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> Closed circuit surveillance cameras have been installed on the stretch of Hollywood Boulevard between La Brea Avenue and Vine Street in an effort to discourage mischievous activities.<ref>Aundreia, et al (August 2008). [https://web.archive.org/web/20100603050203/http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/08/08-007.pdf "Measuring the Effects of Video Surveillance on Crime in Los Angeles"] (PDF), p. 26. USC School of Policy, Planning, & Development. Retrieved June 4, 2010.</ref>

Four of the stars, which weigh about {{convert|300|lb|kg}} each, have been stolen from the Walk of Fame. In 2000, [[James Stewart]]'s and [[Kirk Douglas]]' stars disappeared from their locations near the intersection of Hollywood and Vine, where they had been temporarily removed for a construction project. Police recovered them in the suburban community of [[South Gate, California|South Gate]] when they arrested a man involved in an incident there and searched his house. The suspect was a construction worker employed on the Hollywood and Vine project. The stars had been badly damaged and had to be remade. One of [[Gene Autry]]'s five stars was also stolen from a construction area. Another theft occurred in 2005 when thieves used a [[concrete saw]] to remove [[Gregory Peck]]'s star from its Hollywood Boulevard site at the intersection of North El Centro Avenue, near North Gower. The star was replaced almost immediately, but the original was never recovered and the perpetrators never caught.<ref>{{cite news|last=Pool|first=Bob|date=November 30, 2005|url=https://articles.latimes.com/2005/nov/30/local/me-star30|title=A Star is Torn from Boulevard|newspaper=Los Angeles Times}}</ref>

===Donald Trump's star===
[[File:Donald Trump's Hollywood Walk of Fame Star being repaired.jpg|thumb|Trump's star under repair, soon after it was vandalized on July 25, 2018]]

[[Donald Trump]]'s star, obtained for his work as owner and producer of the [[Miss Universe]] pageant,<ref>{{cite web|last=Zara|first=Christopher|author-link=Christopher Zara|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/4023036/why-the-heck-does-donald-trump-have-a-walk-of-fame-star-anyway-its-not-the-reason-you-think|title=Why the heck does Donald Trump have a Walk of Fame star, anyway? It's not the reason you think|work=[[Fast Company (magazine)|Fast Company]]|date=October 26, 2016|access-date=June 16, 2018}}</ref> has been vandalized multiple times.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Jackson|first1=Henry C.|title=Trump: A star is scorned|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/trump-a-star-is-scorned-223661|access-date=May 28, 2016|work=POLITICO|date=May 28, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Romero|first1=Dennis|title=Donald Trump's Walk of Fame Star Gets a Baby Border Wall (photos)|url=http://www.laweekly.com/news/donald-trumps-walk-of-fame-star-gets-a-baby-border-wall-photos-7157242|access-date=July 20, 2016|date=July 19, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Protester uses Donald Trump Hollywood Walk of Fame star to mock him|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/protester-uses-donald-trump-hollywood-walk-of-fame-star-to-mock-him/|publisher=[[CBS News]]|date=July 20, 2016|access-date=July 20, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-trump-star-vandalism-20190424-story.html|last=Fry|first=Hannah|date=April 24, 2019|title=Trump's star on Hollywood Walk of Fame is defaced by a vandal — again|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=October 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424201113/https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-trump-star-vandalism-20190424-story.html|url-status=live|archive-date=April 24, 2019}}</ref><ref name=":1"/> During the [[2016 United States presidential election|2016 presidential election]], a man named James Otis, who claims to be an heir to the [[Otis Worldwide|Otis Elevator Company]] fortune,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/man-who-destroyed-trumps-star-2016-offers-legal-help-newly-accused-vandal-1129977/|title=Man Who Destroyed Trump's Star in 2016 Offers Legal Help to New Alleged Vandal|work=The Hollywood Reporter|last=Parker|first=Ryan|date=July 26, 2018|access-date=August 9, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-vandal/elevator-scion-who-defaced-trumps-hollywood-star-gets-probation-idUSKBN161069|title=Elevator scion who defaced Trump's Hollywood star gets probation|work=Reuters|last=Gorman|first=Steve|date=February 21, 2017|access-date=August 9, 2021}}</ref> used a sledgehammer and a pickaxe to destroy all of the star's brass inlays. He readily admitted to the vandalism<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/trump-star-230391|title=Man who destroyed Trump's star is 'proud' of his work|date=October 27, 2016|work=POLITICO|access-date=October 27, 2016}}</ref> and was arrested and sentenced to three years' probation.<ref>{{cite news|last=Von Quednow|first=Cindy|title=Man Sentenced to 3 Years Probation in Connection With Vandalizing Donald Trump's Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame|url=http://ktla.com/2017/02/21/man-sentenced-to-3-years-probation-in-connection-with-vandalizing-donald-trumps-star-on-hollywood-walk-of-fame/|website=KTLA.com|date=February 21, 2017|access-date=June 23, 2017}}</ref> The star was repaired and served as a site of pro-Trump demonstrations<ref>{{cite news|last=Jennewein|first=Chris|title=Trump supporters rally at repaired Hollywood Walk of Fame star|url=http://mynewsla.com/government/2016/10/30/trump-supporters-rally-at-repaired-hollywood-walk-of-fame-star/|website=MyNewsLA.com|date=October 30, 2016|access-date=January 25, 2017}}</ref> until it was destroyed a second time in July 2018 by a man named Austin Clay.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Levenson|first1=Eric|last2=Chan|first2=Stella|title=President Trump's Walk of Fame star was smashed to pieces|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/25/politics/trump-walk-of-fame-star-smash/index.html|website=CNN|date=July 25, 2018|access-date=July 29, 2018}}</ref> Clay later surrendered himself to the police and was bailed out by James Otis.<ref>{{cite news|last=Nashrulla|first=Tasneem|title=Donald Trump's Star On The Hollywood Walk Of Fame Was Vandalized Again|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tasneemnashrulla/trump-star-hollywood-walk-fame-vandalized-smashed|website=BuzzFeedNews.com|date=July 25, 2018|access-date=July 29, 2018|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Folley|first=Aris|title=Man who vandalized Trump's Walk of Fame star bailed out by person who did it years ago: report|url=https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/398893-man-who-vandalized-trumps-walk-of-fame-star-bailed-out-by-guy/|website=The Hill|date=July 25, 2018|access-date=July 29, 2018|language=en}}</ref> Clay was sentenced to one day in jail, three years of probation, and 20 days of community service. He also was ordered to attend psychological counseling and pay restitution of $9,404.46 to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/trump-walk-fame-star-vandal-sentenced-jail-pay-10k-1159217|title=Trump Walk of Fame Star Vandal Sentenced to Jail, Probation|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=November 7, 2018|language=en|access-date=July 23, 2019}}</ref> On December 18, 2018, the star was defaced with [[swastika]]s and other graffiti drawn in permanent marker,<ref>{{cite web|title=President Trump's Walk Of Fame Star Vandalized Yet Again|url=https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2018/12/20/president-trump-walk-fame-star-vandalized-again/|date=December 20, 2018|website=cbslocal.com|publisher=CBS Broadcasting, Inc.|access-date=January 7, 2020}}</ref> and it was vandalized yet again on October 2, 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/oct/02/donald-trump-hollywood-walk-of-fame-star-vandalized-again|title=Donald Trump's Hollywood Walk of Fame star vandalized again|work=The Guardian|date=October 2, 2020|access-date=October 3, 2020}}</ref>

In August 2018, the [[West Hollywood]] City Council unanimously passed a resolution requesting permanent removal of the star due to repeated vandalism, according to Mayor [[John Duran]]. The resolution was completely symbolic, as West Hollywood has no jurisdiction over the Walk.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Brown|first1=Emily|title=Council Fight To 'Totally Remove' Donald Trump's Hollywood Star|url=https://www.unilad.co.uk/news/council-fight-to-totally-remove-donald-trumps-hollywood-star/|website=Unilad|access-date=August 22, 2018}}</ref> Activist groups have also called for the removal of stars honoring individuals whose public and professional lives have become controversial, including Trump, [[Bill Cosby]], [[Kevin Spacey]], and [[Brett Ratner]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/hollywood-walk-fame-scandalous-stars-807927/|title=Bill Cosby, Donald Trump and 7 More Scandalous Stars Immortalized on Hollywood's Walk of Fame|first1=Paige|last1=Phelan|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=July 10, 2015}}</ref> In answer to these campaigns, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced that because the Walk is a historical landmark,{{refn|group=Note|While the Walk is individually a Los Angeles City Historical Monument, it is not registered by itself on the [[National Register of Historic Places]]. It is, instead, part of the [[Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District]]'s nomination to the National Register.<ref>{{cite web|title=Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM) List - City Declared Monuments|url=https://planning.lacity.org/odocument/24f6fce7-f73d-4bca-87bc-c77ed3fc5d4f/Historical%20Cultural%20Monuments%20List.pdf|access-date=May 1, 2022|page=12|quote=194 Hollywood Walk of Fame - Hollywood Boulevard (between Gower and La Brea) & Vine Street (between Sunset and Yucca) - 07/05/1978 Hollywood 13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form - Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District|url=https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/236d3254-47ee-4b31-9045-c2999cc465f2/|access-date=May 1, 2022|date=April 4, 1985|quote=In addition to architectural details, there are several fine urban design features: colored terrazo entryways, neon signage, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.}}</ref>}} "once a star has been added ... it is considered a part of the historic fabric of the Hollywood Walk of Fame" and cannot be removed.<ref name="star.removal">{{cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/hollywood-chamber-commerce-no-plans-remove-walk-fame-stars-amid-sexual-harassment-scandals-173303074.html|title=Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has no plans to remove Walk of Fame stars amid sexual misconduct scandals|work=Yahoo!|last=Ryder|first=Taryn|date=November 15, 2017|access-date=February 26, 2018}}</ref>