In defense of freedom of expression, Jane Fonda, together with hundreds of Hollywood stars, has revived a historic protest movement that was born during the Cold War. Renowned actors such as Natalie Portman, Sean Penn, and Anne Hathaway, as well as directors like Spike Lee and Aaron Sorkin, are among the more than 550 signatories of the renewed “Committee for the First Amendment”, as was announced on Wednesday. On the official website of the movement, the following statement can be read:
“This committee was first formed during the McCarthy era, a dark time in which the federal government repressed and persecuted U.S. citizens for their political beliefs. Today, those forces have returned, and now it is our turn to unite and defend our constitutional rights.” At 87 years old, Jane Fonda leads the initiative, following in the footsteps of her father, the legendary actor Henry Fonda, who was one of the founding members of the original committee back in the 1940s.
The First Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees the freedoms of speech and of the press, and during the early years of the Cold War, Senator Joseph McCarthy introduced repressive measures that particularly targeted Hollywood, which he accused of promoting “anti-American” ideas. That first protest movement, considered a milestone in the defense of civil rights, included iconic figures such as Judy Garland, Humphrey Bogart, and Frank Sinatra.
These artists publicly denounced repression and harassment, organized delegations to Washington, and spoke on radio programs to warn about the dangers threatening freedom of thought. The current revival of the committee, according to its promoters, “is not a mere warning shot, but the beginning of a lasting struggle.” This new wave of mobilization comes amid a tense political climate, intensified by the decision of the Disney Group to temporarily cancel Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show under pressure from the U.S. government and media regulators. Kimmel had provoked the anger of President Donald Trump’s circle by speaking harshly about the murder of far-right activist Charlie Kirk.
After massive public criticism, the network reinstated the show, and Kimmel described the attempts to silence him as “blatantly un-American.” Trump, on the other hand, insists that critical reports about him and his administration are “illegal,” while the committee directly warns major film and television companies not to yield to Washington’s pressure. In a strong statement they declared: “To those who profit from our work while endangering the livelihoods of workers, bowing to government censorship and cowering before brutal intimidation: we see you, and history will not forget you.”
