'Homeless ordered out of LA's Union Station ahead of the Academy Awards and are warned their belongings would be DEMOLISHED if they tried to stay'

• The 93rd Academy Awards are being held at Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles
• City officials have been accused of 'forcing' out homeless people who cluster in the area around the train station
• Despite the accusations, City Council member Kevin De Leon, who represents District 14, denied that any homeless people were 'forced' out

By ANDREW COURT FOR DAILYMAIL.COM-25 April 2021

Homeless people say they have been 'forced' to moved away from the site of this year's Academy Awards by Los Angeles city officials. 

The glitzy awards show will be held Sunday at Union Station - a train station located in the Downtown area near tent cities set up by vagrants. 

One homeless person told Fox 11 that unidentified officials tried to 'force' the unhoused from the surrounds of the historic station to Grand Hotel - 1.5 miles away. 

'They came to us about a week ago saying that we had to move by Friday 6 pm because they were trying to clean up for the Oscars and they told us if we didn't move, they were gonna just demolish our stuff,'  the homeless man told the news network.  

'They forced us to go to the Grand Hotel on 3rd and Figueroa and they kicked everybody out of Union Station so it looks better for the image.'

Los Angeles County has a reported homeless population of 91,000. Many of those cluster in tent cities set up in Downtown LA. 

Skid Row - an area located just one mile from Union Station - has to up  8,000 vagrants living in tents set up on streets and sidewalks. 

However, despite the accusations, City Council member Kevin De Leon denied that any homeless people were 'forced' out. 

'While the 93rd Academy Awards are being held at Union Station this year, and despite irresponsible rumors, NO unhoused residents are being forced to relocate,' he told Fox 11 in a statement. 

Los Angeles city officials are under fire amid accusations they have tried to move homeless people away from the site of this year's Academy Awards. Skid Row in the city's Downtown is pictured 

The glitzy awards show will be held Sunday at Union Station - a train station located in the Downtown area near tent cities set up by vagrants

One homeless person told Fox 11 that unidentified officials tried to 'force' the unhoused from the surrounds of the historic station to Grand Hotel - 1.5 miles away

A view of Union Station is seen during preparations for the 93rd Annual Academy Awards

Meanwhile, a media rep for the Academy Awards told Fox News that organizers for the ceremony 'have worked with several community, county and city nonprofits to limit disruption for Union Station’s homeless population, including the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority and People Assisting the Homeless'.

They similarly stated that no vagrants were 'forced' out of the area.