Hollywood Stars Resurrect Anti-McCarthy Group to Protect First Amendment
Actress Jane Fonda and more than 700 entertainment industry figures have resurrected a First Amendment group originally established to battle McCarthyism, in part as an apparent reaction to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s recent pressure on broadcasters and networks. “The McCarthy Era ended when Americans from across the political spectrum finally came together and stood up for the principles in the Constitution against the forces of repression,” said the relaunched Committee for the First Amendment on its new website Wednesday. “Those forces have returned. And it is our turn to stand together in defense of our constitutional rights.” The original Committee for the First Amendment was formed in 1947 by Hollywood figures -- including Henry Fonda -- to protest House Un-American Activities Committee hearings against screenwriters and directors. “We are moved by their courage to speak truth to power and alarmed by how relevant their words are today, 78 years later,” the website said.
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The group includes a host of stars and other powerful entertainment industry members, including singer Barbra Streisand, director JJ Abrams, agent Bryan Lourd and show creator Issa Rae. The committee’s website doesn’t name specific actions by Carr or the Trump administration, but it does appear to point to recent matters involving Paramount Global and Jimmy Kimmel Live! “The federal government is once again engaged in a coordinated campaign to silence critics in the government, the media, the judiciary, academia, and the entertainment industry,” the website said. “We refuse to stand by and let that happen.”
The committee also appeared to call out broadcasters and networks for capitulating to Trump administration pressure. “To those who profit from our work while threatening the livelihoods of everyday working people, bowing to government censorship, and cowering to brute intimidation: we see you and history will not forget. This will not be the last you hear from us,” the website said. The group will concentrate on “preparing for what’s coming, resisting with non-cooperation -- but always non-violence -- when needed, and ensuring our collective voice is loud and purposeful in these dangerous times.” The group didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.