A wave of demonstrators assembled outside KOMO Plaza on Saturday morning, voicing anger over ABC’s decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show after comments he made regarding the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Dozens of protesters filled the sidewalk, hoisting signs and chanting in defense of free speech. Passing drivers honked in support, some slowing to read placards with messages such as “Free Speech Is Not for Sale,” “Cancel Culture Is Hot Right Now,” and “Dump Disney.”
“ABC has canceled Jimmy Kimmel because he said something that irritated the administration,” said demonstrator Anne Fitzpatrick, who called the network’s move an attack on free expression.
The protest followed ABC’s announcement earlier in the week that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would be pulled indefinitely. The suspension stemmed from Kimmel’s Monday monologue, in which he accused Trump supporters of trying to distance themselves from the man charged in Kirk’s killing.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them,” Kimmel said on the broadcast.
President Donald Trump celebrated the move on social media, praising ABC for what he described as “the courage to do what had to be done.”
Several demonstrators in Seattle saw the decision as a dangerous overreach.
“The First Amendment exists for a reason. Punishing people for what they say is the road to tyranny,” said protester Dan Druliner.
Others pointed to the irony of Kirk’s death and the circumstances of Kimmel’s suspension.
“The conservative activist was assassinated, he fought for free speech. This is something that should bring people together,” said Peter House, another demonstrator.
Many of the protesters directed their ire at Disney, which owns ABC. One sign depicted a Mickey Mouse head crossed out in red with the words “Boycott Disney.”
KOMO’s parent company, Sinclair, had already pulled Kimmel’s program from its affiliates before ABC issued its nationwide suspension.
“It’s an insult to our free speech. We can’t allow money to dictate who gets to speak,” Fitzpatrick added.
Some viewers have raised questions about whether Kimmel could pursue legal action against the Federal Communications Commission. Legal experts told Reuters that any lawsuit would hinge on proving ABC was pressured or coerced by the FCC into taking him off the air.
Disney has yet to issue a public statement on the matter.
