The WGA's fight for fair wages took a dangerous turn Thursday afternoon when strikers reported they were threatened by longtime BMF producer Ian Woolf with his SUV. According to multiple picketers at the scene in Atlanta outside where the series is produced, Woolf sped his vehicle toward the picket line only to slam on the brakes right before hitting anyone in an attempt to intimidate the protesters. He's now been suspended from the Starz drama series and producers at Lionsgate Television have launched an investigation into the incident."We take acts of intimidation and threats of violence seriously and investigate them thoroughly," Lionsgate representatives told The Hollywood Reporter. " As we continue to investigate, we have sent home the individual involved." The 50 Cent-produced series, which follows the story of brothers Demetrius "Big Meech" Flenory and Terry "Southwest T" Flenory who founded the titular Black Mafia Family crime organization, was in production on Season 3.Two of the individuals Woolf targeted were writers Brian Egeston and Gabriel Alejandro Garza, the latter of whom is also a strike captain. Egeston took to Twitter to slam Woolf's actions as "hateful" and called to mind the many painful recent national incidents of violence against African Americans. "When you pointed your SUV at me as though it were a weapon and slammed the breaks within six feet of writers, I felt the hate and aggression of scenarios similar to Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and others who have been harmed at the hands of hate-filled oppressors," The House of Payne writer said. He also pointed out that Woolf was fully aware of what he was doing when driving toward the protesters. "As I marched with the WGA in a peaceful protest, similar to the giants who have walked the very streets where you almost committed manslaughter, you chose to—in your own words— 'Tried to scare you.'" To close, Egeston called for Woolf to face consequences for his actions:

"Mr. Woolf, this scare and intimidation tactic reeks of German Shepards, water hoses, bricks and burning flesh. It reeks of the worst kind of hate. A hate that continually divides us as a people. I would implore you, in hindsight, to consider the ramifications of killing an African-American man in the streets of the city too busy to hate, while being the producer of an African-American TV show, created by an African American man, run by an African-American Man. Mr. Woolf, your actions purveyed a deep generational hate for us. And that, sir, is a travesty for which you must be held accountable. If not by your superiors and peers, then by the people of Atlanta because the South will have something to say about what you did today. Should you choose to remain in our city, where I will remind you that you are a guest, I beg of you to lead with love and refrain from being a drum major for hate and potential manslaughter. I pray God’s grace and mercy over your life."

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Image via WGA

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The WGA itself was quick to back up its members and denounce Woolf's actions on the scene in its own statement, committing to supporting any individuals threatened by Woolf. "Workers should not be threatened with physical harm when exercising their right to publicly protest and picket against unfair wages and working conditions. Anyone who harms or threatens to harm a member or supporter of the Writers Guild on a picket line should be held responsible for their actions. The WGA is working closely with members who were endangered during this incident to hold this individual accountable."

Multiple Strikers at the Scene Corroborated Egeston's Story

Garza's account lined up with what Egeston wrote, revealing in his own lengthy statement that Woolf sped at them twice during the confrontation. "Woolf did not turn to enter the parking lot during this second move. He was looking directly at us the entire time and kept his vehicle pointed at us," he said. To further show that there was no reason for Woolf to be pointed in their direction, Garza said he was wearing a reflective orange vest and that he and Egeston weren't blocking traffic, the parking lot, or any driveways in the area. All that was behind the duo was a tree.

After nearly hitting the strikers, Woolf walked over to Garza and Egeston to check the writers' WGA cards and, according to Garza, he twice admitted to attempting to intimidate them. They recorded the incident including Woolf identifying himself at the scene and will likely share that recording with Lionsgate as the investigation continues. It's not known yet if they'll pursue legal action, but Garza didn't mince words when it came to explaining the danger Woolf put them in:

"I've seen trained stunt drivers miss their marks. The difference between coming close to hitting someone, and actually hitting them, is razor thin. And Mr. Ian Woolf is not likely to be qualified to judge or execute such a risky move in a fast-moving large vehicle, without risking our lives. His maneuver could've killed us, plain and simple."

Another writer, Diya Mistra, was also on the scene at the time to confirm Garza and Egeston's story. Beyond that, she wrote on Twitter that when the producer admitted "I was trying to scare you" to the strikers and spoke about his actions afterward, he was "completely without remorse." Mad Men alum and husband of WGA West president Meredith Stiehm Tom Smuts gave a further account of what happened in the moments after Woolf's intimidation tactics, describing how the producer then went on to beg teamsters from the Local 728 to cross the picket line only to start doing everything himself including opening trailers and starting generators.

Smuts also wasted no time vouching for the character of Egeston who had been a committed protester on the picket line. "I was there with my fellow organizer @mblakewriter for two weeks as this prince @TheBrianwrites walked anonymously with us for 12 hours a day, his warmth, humor, intelligence and dignity evident the moment we met, not once losing his temper until @ianwoolfprod threatened him."

What Is the Writer's Guild Striking For?

This latest writer's strike is the first since 2007 and largely revolves around securing fair wages for the individuals in the writer's room amidst the changes of the streaming age. While opportunities in Hollywood are plentiful, the scribes behind your favorite shows are finding less and less gainful employment with the number of writers earning the minimum defined by the Minimum Basic Agreement, which itself is becoming even less lucrative due to inflation, skyrocketing in recent years across all positions from staff writers to showrunners. Not to mention, the responsibilities of writers continue to grow despite the lack of wage increases and, to further add insult to injury, they face a reality where A.I. could soon be implemented in their place. Writers want a fair slice of the pie for the work they do and protection for the future. The U.S. Constitution ensures their right to speak freely and peacefully protest for these changes.

Read Egeston's full statement below.