KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Bijou Theater lit up red Tuesday night in support of a bill meant to help protect the U.S. entertainment industry.
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, several industries were hit hard by a loss in revenue as people stayed home to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Officials with the "#RedAlertRESTART" movement said the entertainment industry took one of the hardest hits.
Michael Strickland, from Knoxville, helped start the movement. He said that the U.S. could lose around 70 percent of the entertainment industry as studios and event spaces close, and people lose their jobs due to the pandemic. To save it, the movement started urging lawmakers to pass a bill expanding financial assistance.
He said that the RESTART Act, or Reviving the Economy Sustainably Towards A Recovery in Twenty-twenty Act, will help prevent the industry from losing so many people.
Venues from the Bijou Theatre in Knoxville to Radio City Music Hall in New York City and across the U.S. said they would up red to show their support for the bill.
People can also contact their representatives through Red Alert Restart's website.
