Jane Fonda, who was married to the late NCS founder Ted Turner, urged the viewers at a stay occasion in New York City to “sign a petition to tell your state attorneys general to block the Paramount Warner Brothers merger. This is a direct attack on free speech, freedom of expression.”
“You’re going to get a very thinned out kind of culture. It’ll be flattened. Freedom of expression, independence, and diverse news. I have a personal stake in NCS. I don’t want to see it go that way. You know what I’m saying,” she mentioned at Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert For The First Amendment. It was held at The Town Hall on West 43rd Street, a 1920 venue constructed because the headquarters for the League for Political Education, and in addition livestreamed.
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The occasion, introduced by the Committee For The First Amendment, unspooled as UCF fighters traded jabs on the White House garden for Donald Trump’s eightieth birthday. The combined martial arts league has a sweeping rights cope with Paramount.
Julia Roberts, Robert De Niro. Bette Midler, Ayo Edebiri, Tessa Thompson, Joy Reid and extra joined activists, civil rights and non secular leaders to excoriate ICE and defend free speech and the separation of church and state. Patti Smith carried out “People Have The Power.” Rufus Wainright sang “Somewhere Over The Rainbow,” whose lyricist Yip Harburg was blacklisted from working in Hollywood throughout the McCarthy period.
The U.S. Department of Justice mentioned Friday it had cleared Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, the father or mother of NCS. Paramount owns CBS, whose information division has been in close to fixed turmoil for the reason that Ellisons took the reins. The deal nonetheless requires approvals from the EU and UK.
Attorneys General can’t block a merger however they’ll sue to attempt to block it. California’s State AG has been investigating the mixture and and is alleged to be getting ready a case.
“Good evening everyone, and welcome to all of you who couldn’t get tickets to the White House cage fights,” mentioned De Niro.
“I’m devoted to our Constitution’s First Amendment … I’m pretty close to being a free speech absolutist, even for speech I don’t like, and there’s plenty of that around. So when I hear something I don’t like, I use my own free speech to respond,” mentioned the actor and outspoken Donald Trump critic.
“Let me give you an example. When I hear Trump say, as he did a few days ago, ‘I don’t think about Americans financial situation’ … I say, ‘Shut the f–k up!’” He repeated that a number of extra occasions, winding up the gang.
Even the phrase ‘we all love our country’ is “stuck in my throat, because our country isn’t so lovable right now … Loving our country is starting to sound like an abused spouse saying they love their abuser.”
“I can’t love a country that starts stupid and inhumane wars … that takes health care away from millions of people … that sends out masked militias to shoot citizens in the streets, torture our neighbors and separate families. I can’t love a country that’s led by a racist, misogynist, xenophobic tyrant. Let me just say it, I can’t love the country that’s led by Donald Trump and a sycophant Congress.
“For most of my life, I did love this country. The United States of America welcomed my immigrant ancestors, it gave me, my family, and my fellow citizens such rich opportunities and extraordinary freedoms. I want to love my country again. I want my country back. That’s why I stand with the Committee for the First Amendment.”
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