After the shocking removal of Jimmy Kimmel from his Late Night Show—a blatant act of censorship—many Americans came together to protest the removal of Kimmel. The chosen forms of protest: boycotts and rallies. Due to Disney, the parent owner of ABC News and therefore Kimmel’s show, removing Kimmel from the Late Night Show, people began boycotting Disney through a mass canceling of Disney subscriptions. Along with boycotting Disney, “members of WGA rallied outside Disney Studios in Burbank, California”(NBC News). Furthermore, celebrities and influencers also came together to protest Kimmel’s removal, with ”Damon Lindelof, creator of ABC’s ‘Lost,’ [saying] in an Instagram post on Thursday that he would not work with the company if Kimmel’s suspension was not lifted”(NBC News). Besides Lindelof, celebrities such as Wanda Sykes, Jean Smart, Michael Kosta, Mike Birbiglia, and many others have also spoken out against Kimmel’s removal, condemning Disney and ABC for curbing freedom of speech. Eventually, the efforts of the people paid off, and by September 23 Kimmel returned to his show. The success of the peaceful protests not only demonstrates the willingness of Americans to act, but also proves that by coming together and protesting, change can be made.
