Protesters disrupt archaeologist Richard Hansen’s speech at the LA Times Festival of Books

A melee erupted at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on Sunday night when activists rushed to the Spanish stage to protest a speech by archaeologist Richard Hansen.

Protesters were targeting Hansen’s decades of excavation and research at a vast ancient Mayan complex in Guatemala called El Mirador.

The group of about 15 masked protesters rushed to the small stage where Hansen was being interviewed by LA Times En Español columnist Alejandro Maciel, whose First column on Hansen’s research was published earlier this year in The Times.

Protesters knocked over chairs, shouted “this is stolen land!” and “fucking imperialism!” and unveiled a large banner that read “Gringo colonizer fuera del Mirador”.

Under the stunned eyes of the spectators, a fight broke out between the demonstrators and some members of the event team who were desperately trying to clear the stage. A scene crew member walked out with a bloody nose as police quickly arrived on the scene.

After several minutes of protesters continuing to yell at Hansen as police formed a line between the protesters and the stage, Hansen and Maciel were escorted to a nearby tent for speakers at the event.

Dr. Richard Hansen watches a fight break out on the Spanish stage during his speech at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.

(James Carbone / Los Angeles Times En Español)

Protesters knocked over chairs, shouted “this is stolen land!” and “fucking imperialism!” and unveiled a large banner that read “Gringo colonizer fuera del Mirador”.

(James Carbone / Los Angeles Times En Español)

The crowd eventually dissipated and the event ended.

Los Angeles Police Department Sgt. Gutierrez, who declined to give his first name, said a person was in custody on suspicion of assault and battery.

In an interview Sunday night, Hansen said he was untouched during the disruption. He said his laptop was seized by one of the protesters but was later recovered.

“I’ve lectured all over the world and this has never happened before,” said Hansen, who previously taught at UCLA.

The work Hansen performed took place in a region torn by drug trafficking, human trafficking, and illegal logging.

Critics have accused Hansen of wanting to develop the area to increase archaeological tourism in a way that would harm the local population, many of whom are indigenous.

Hansen, whose proposals won the support of a number of Mayan leaders, said his proposals were environmentally sustainable, would create jobs for indigenous communities and lessen the influence of what he called the “mafias”. operating in the region.

Critics, including protesters on Sunday, also chastised Hansen for accepting awards from Guatemalan administrations and corporate-affiliated groups.

Referring to the protesters on Sunday, Hansen said: “I think they were deeply influenced by lies and distortions.”

Maciel said neither he nor his young daughter, who accompanied him, were injured in the blast.

“We all have the right to speak our mind and protest, but what isn’t fair or just is the use of violence,” said Festival of Books programming organizer Veronica Alvarado. which aims to promote reading in Spanish within the Southern California community.

Claudia Núñez, public engagement editor of the LA Times En Español, contributed to this report.

Not all news on the site expresses the point of view of the site, but we transmit this news automatically and translate it through programmatic technology on the site and not from a human editor.

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