Supporters of Stephen Colbert took to the streets of New York City following the cancellation of The Late Show. The demonstrators gathered outside the Ed Sullivan Theater and marched to Paramount’s Times Square headquarters. They rallied to demand the network reverse its decision.
Stephen Colbert supporters rally with ‘Save Colbert’ banners in NYC
Dozens of demonstrators gathered in Manhattan on July 23 to protest CBS and its parent company, Paramount, over the abrupt cancellation of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. The rally began outside the Ed Sullivan Theater, Colbert’s studio.
It continued through Midtown and ended at Paramount’s Times Square headquarters. Protesters carried 10 boxes packed with over 250,000 signatures from the “Save Colbert” petition, urging the network to reinstate the show (via The Guardian).
The movement has drawn support from both prominent political and entertainment figures. Democratic representatives Ro Khanna and Ted Lieu, actor Frances Fisher, The Daily Show’s Aasif Mandvi, and comedian Kristen Schaal are among those backing the petition.
Organized by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, they criticized Paramount’s decision as “blatantly political.” They stated, “America needs Stephen Colbert’s voice now more than ever.” Outside Paramount’s headquarters, protestors chanted “Save Colbert” and “Fight back!” as they were met by security and NYPD officers blocking access to the building.
The outrage follows Paramount’s recent $16 million settlement with Donald Trump. The President had sued CBS News and 60 Minutes over a segment featuring Kamala Harris. Trump claimed that the segment was significant edited. Shortly after the settlement, Colbert addressed the issue directly on his show. He called the payout a “big, fat bribe” and expressing frustration with the network.
Despite speculation linking the cancellation to Colbert’s criticism of Trump, CBS executives have maintained that the decision was strictly financial. The network claimed it was driven by “a challenging backdrop in late night.” They emphasized that it is “not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount” (via CBS News).
In addition to public demonstrations, Colbert has received support from fellow entertainers, including Sandra Oh, John Oliver, and Jimmy Kimmel.
Originally reported by Disheeta Maheshwari on ComingSoon.
