Participants accused Trump and his allies of undermining First Amendment protections.
Actors and entertainers gathered in New York on Sunday for Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the First Amendment, an event featuring industry figures including Jane Fonda and Robert De Niro.
Participants accused Trump and his allies of undermining First Amendment protections.
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The event took place on the same night as the UFC Freedom 250 celebration, hosted by Trump. Questions have been raised about the planning and financing of the event.
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Fonda calls on House Un-American Activities Committee
Jane Fonda criticized what she described as complacency in the entertainment industry. She said: “The Committee was relaunched last October to bring the entertainment industry together at this time when our democracy is at risk.”
“In light of what is happening, we need our industry to be united and activated, and unwilling to engage in anticipatory obedience,” she said, adding, “I think the un-American Activities Committee is coming out of the White House right now.”
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She based her comments on personal history, noting that her father, actor Henry Fonda, was himself a member of the original Committee for the First Amendment, an organization created to support the Hollywood Ten, a group of film industry figures who were blacklisted after refusing to answer questions from Congress about alleged communist ties.
Speakers focus on the upcoming midterm elections
Criticism of the Trump administration was a recurring theme, with much of the discussion focusing on the upcoming midterm elections.
Several speakers also cited concerns about the expressed optimism about the Republican Party’s position ahead of the election, a sentiment reinforced by widespread concerns about the administration’s sanctions of military action in Iran.
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Attendees raised concerns about multiple issues, including the experiences of minority communities under Trump and the influence of his political allies on the entertainment industry. The event ended with a call for political commitment to mobilize opposition against the government’s agenda.
The event was held during President Trump’s 80th birthday at the White House, which hosted the UFC Freedom 250 fight on the South Lawn. The decision to host a UFC event at the White House was criticized by some observers.
Several people associated with TKO, the parent company of the UFC, were absent from the celebration, including Dwayne Johnson, whose representative confirmed he was not in attendance.
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