Five men and a woman arrested for altering the historic “HOLLYWOOD” sign on Monday are facing misdemeanor trespassing charges.
The stunt, which involved changing two letters into “B’s,” briefly transformed the landmark sign into “HOLLYBOOB” which they claimed was an effort to promote breast cancer awareness. The “W” was covered by a giant tarp with the letter “B” on it. The appearance of the second “B” was created by putting a white dash across the “D.”
Video surveillance captured the crew about 1:15 Monday afternoon. A police helicopter was dispatched and monitored them as they hiked back down the hill onto Mulholland Highway where police and park rangers placed them under arrest.
According to LAPD Capt. Steve Lurie, the group avoided vandalism charges because the sign wasn’t damaged.
Mark Panatier, chairman of the Hollywood Sign Trust which maintains the site, wasn’t amused saying “It’s unfortunate that such an important icon for the city of L.A. is not being appreciated.” Panatier added “This is an icon that’s there for visual reinforcement of the importance of Hollywood, not just for the city of L.A. but to the world.”
It’s not the first time the legendary sign has been “renamed.” In 2017, it was changed to appear to read “HOLLYWeeD.”
People have been known to frequently trespass on the property surrounded by Griffith Park, but mostly get scared off by guards or rangers.