Shia LaBeouf arrested outside New York museum after altercation
He Will Not Divide Us participatory art livestream began the day of Trump's inauguration
Actor Shia LaBeouf was arrested early Thursday after he allegedly got into an altercation with another man outside the New York City museum hosting his on-camera participatory art project that began the day of U.S. President Donald Trump's inauguration.
Police said LaBeouf pulled the scarf of an unidentified 25-year-old man outside the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, scratching his face in the process.
They said he also pushed the man, who refused medical attention.
LaBeouf has spent the first few days of Trump's presidency swaying, dancing and repeating the phrase "He will not divide us" in front of a live camera outside the museum.
The livestream is for a participatory public art project LaBeouf and two collaborators intend to have running 24 hours a day for the next four years.
The camera went live the morning of the inauguration, along with a website inviting the public to show up and participate. LeBeouf has been a frequent, though not constant, presence.
'Everyone's invited'
Technically, the project from LaBeouf and his performance art partners isn't about opposition to Trump, LaBeouf told The Associated Press in an interview conducted on Monday in front of the livestream camera.
"We're anti-division out here. Everyone's invited," LaBeouf said. "I'm just saying, 'Be nice to each other."'
It's not immediately known what led to the alleged altercation Thursday morning. It was unclear whether the camera captured any of the confrontation, but it did show the aftermath, including LaBeouf being handcuffed and led off by police.
In the moments before his arrest, he issued a plea into the camera.
"Hey, be nice. Everybody be nice down here, man. Just be nice! That's the only requirement. Be nice!" he said.
"That's all I ask. Be nice. Pro this, pro that. Cool. But be nice."
Videos posted on social media show LaBeouf returning to the site before sunrise to resume chanting.
Shia LaBeouf has been arrested by NYPD, because of this video <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HeWillNotDivideUs?src=hash">#HeWillNotDivideUs</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FreeShia?src=hash">#FreeShia</a> <a href="https://t.co/Sj8RqP7uGm">pic.twitter.com/Sj8RqP7uGm</a>
—@HWNDUSIn videos shared by the He Will Not Divide Us Twitter account overnight, LaBeouf is shown apparently pushing away one man who calls him over before declaring "Hitler did nothing wrong."
Earlier in the week, the account shared a video in which LaBeouf appears aggressively engaging with another man who returns repeatedly to recite alleged white supremacist messages into the livestream camera.
LaBeouf faces a misdemeanour assault charge and is due in court April 4.