Hundreds Protest Against Disney Over Jimmy Kimmel Live! Suspension, Decry Trump-Admin 'Attack' On Free Speech

(MENAFN- Live Mint) The suspension of talk show host Jimmy Kimmel by Disney-owned ABC marks the latest instance of a major U.S. media company yielding to pressure from the Trump administration, prioritising profits over the principle of free speech.

Hundreds of writers and actors protest outside the ABC office against the company's decision to indefinitely suspend Kimmel's show. Waving signs that read“ABC Bends the Knee to Fascism”, members of both the WGA and SAG returned to Disney's Alameda Avenue gate, where they last protested during the 2023 strike.

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The decision drew criticism from writers, performers, former U.S. President Barack Obama, and others, who labelled it a capitulation to unconstitutional government pressure.

On Thursday, demonstrators gathered outside the Hollywood studio where the show is filmed to protest the suspension. Protesters held signs that read“Don't Bend a Knee to Trump,”“Resist Fascism,”“Douse the Mouse,” and“Cancel Disney.” The event was billed as“Protest ABC- For Comedy, Criticism, and 1st Amendment.”

Shortly after the news about Kimmel went public, the Writers Guild of America West and Writers Guild of America East wrote,“The right to speak our minds and to disagree with each other – to disturb, even – is at the very heart of what it means to be a free people. It is not to be denied. Not by violence, not by the abuse of governmental power, nor by acts of corporate cowardice,” it noted.“As a Guild, we stand united in opposition to anyone who uses their power and influence to silence the voices of writers, or anyone who speaks in dissent. If free speech applied only to ideas we like, we needn't have bothered to write it into the Constitution. What we have signed on to – painful as it may be at times – is the freeing agreement to disagree. Shame on those in government who forget this founding truth. As for our employers, our words have made you rich. Silencing us impoverishes the whole world.”

The Writers Guild of America has released a statement on ABC's decision to pull 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'.Watch the protest here:

A demonstrator dressed in a skeleton suit stands next to a sign featuring Jimmy Kimmel, during a protest at the El Capitan Entertainment Centre, where 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' was recorded for broadcast, following his suspension for remarks he made regarding Charlie Kirk's assassination, on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, U.S. September 18, 2025. REUTERS/David Swanson
A person carries a placard as people protest outside The Walt Disney Company's Headquarters, a day after Walt Disney-owned ABC said it was pulling 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' off the air due to threats by the head of the top U.S. communications regulator, because of comments by Kimmel on the assassination of right wing influencer Charlie Kirk, in New York City, U.S., September 18, 2025. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
Demonstrators picket in response to the cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show outside of The Walt Disney Studios Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025, in Burbank, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Asked about ABC's decision, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer reminded attendees that free speech is“part of who we are” in Britain. It's one of the reasons, he added, why the country fought alongside the US in World War II, Bloomberg reported.

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President Donald Trump, standing next to him, had a different take.“Jimmy Kimmel is not a talented person,” Trump said.“He had very bad ratings, and they should have fired him a long time ago. So, you know, you can call that free speech or not. He was fired for lack of talent.”

What is the Jimmy Kimmel controversy?

Kimmel, a comedian who frequently lampoons Trump, said during his nine-minute opening monologue on Monday that allies of Kirk were using his assassination to“score political points.”

He also poked fun at Trump after the president turned a question about his personal mourning of Kirk into a promotion for his new White House ballroom.

Also Read: Trump cheers comedian Jimmy Kimmels suspension for on-air Charlie Kirk remarks

“This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he called a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish,” Kimmel said.

A 22-year-old technical college student, Tyler Robinson from Utah, was charged with Kirk's murder on Tuesday.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has used his office and the courts to attack unflattering speech about him that he has called defamatory or false.

Also Read: 'Against Trump's Bullying': Free Speech Debate SHAKES U.S. After Jimmy Kimmel Fired Over Kirk Jok

In the week following Charlie Kirk's murder, Jimmy Kimmel has become the most high-profile American to face professional repercussions over remarks denounced by conservatives as disrespectful toward Kirk. Others affected include media personalities, educators, academic staff, and corporate employees.

Prominent Democrats have accused Trump of launching an attack on First Amendment free speech protections. Meanwhile, Republicans argue they are combating“hate speech” that could incite violence, claiming that some of Kirk's critics are attempting to rationalise or excuse his killing, AP reported.

(With inputs from agencies)

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