S.F. protesters condemn Jimmy Kimmel suspension as ‘deeply destructive’ to democracy

Free speech advocates gathered Sunday afternoon outside the ABC and Nexstar affiliates in San Francisco to protest the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show over comments the comedian made on air about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. 

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Organizers called on the Bay Area community to boycott Disney, Nexstar and Sinclair after the media companies suspended “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” indefinitely following pressure from the Federal Communications Commission, a move that has triggered widespread First Amendment concerns. 

Indivisible San Francisco and Indivisible East Bay, the local chapters of a national progressive movement, organized the Sunday protest. It was one of several similar protests across the country to stand in solidarity with media and entertainment workers “who have had their rights curtailed and careers threatened,” organizers said. 

“It is obeying in advance, and it is deeply deeply destructive to the democratic spirit and the fundamental values that our country was founded on,” said Joey Raff, an Indivisible East Bay organizer. “So we’re out here to show those national companies … that they can’t just kneel and expect us to take it.” 

The controversy stems from remarks Kimmel made early last week about Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old man accused of fatally shooting Kirk as he was speaking this month on a Utah college campus. 

“The MAGA gang (is) desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said on the show. 

With signs and bells, a few dozen protesters gathered around noon outside the studios of ABC7 and KRON4, which is owned by Nexstar Media Group, to launch the boycott of Disney advertisers and products, including its Hulu streaming service. Drivers in cars and buses waved and honked in apparent support while the group flashed posters championing free speech and democracy. 

Eric Fuller, 66, took BART from the East Bay and rode his bike to the Embarcadero to join the protest. He said he was also participating in the boycott by canceling Hulu. 

“It’s a really bad pretext for taking someone off the air,” Fuller said. “This is strict censorship.” 

The boycott will continue until the broadcast companies reverse course on Kimmel’s suspension and display a “clear commitment to political independence,” according to Indivisible organizers. 

“The only entity left to stop fascism are we the people,” said protester Xan Joi, 75, of Berkeley.

ABC, which is owned by Disney, suspended “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on Wednesday shortly after two affiliate groups, Nexstar and Sinclair, announced they would refuse to air the show on their local stations. 

Nexstar said Kimmel’s comments were “offensive and insensitive,” according to a statement. Sinclair called on Kimmel to issue an apology to the Kirk family and “make a meaningful personal donation” to the Kirk family and Turning Point USA, the conservative youth organization Kirk founded in 2012.

Nexstar has been seeking FCC approval for a merger with broadcast company Tegna, while Nexstar and Sinclair want the FCC to repeal a rule limiting any broadcasting company from reaching more than 39% of U.S. households.

Eliza Hicks, 27, was among the group gathered Sunday afternoon. She said people have a sense of fear about speaking up in the current political climate, but she wanted to spread a message of hope.

“We gotta show up and show that we’re not afraid and that we can fight back,” she said. 

Another protester, 64-year-old Pam Tellew, said the suspension of Kimmel’s show “feels really dire.” 

“It feels like we’ve sunk really far, really fast, in terms of going into authoritarianism,” Tellew said. “I feel like it’s absolutely time for people to stand up and say, ‘This isn’t OK,’ because if we don’t do it now, we might not have the ability to do it later.”