WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – Protesters lined the street Sunday outside Wichita’s local ABC affiliate KAKE, voicing their concerns about the network’s decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show off the air.
It is important to note, although ABC removed the show, the Wichita affiliate is owned by a different company, which was not part of the decision.
“When they knocked off the Kimmel show, and they were caving into pressure by our government, that to me doesn’t feel like a government at all,” said Robert Tompkins, one of the protesters. “It feels like a very corrupt government, and I feel like we need to be out here to have our say.”
Kimmel was suspended by ABC and its parent company Disney after pressure from the FCC following his comments about the death of Charlie Kirk. Protesters Sunday carried signs saying ‘ABC: Always Be Constitutional.’
“I’m trying to get them to be aware that there’s more to this world than just money,” Tompkins said. “It’s about people, and how they feel.”
Protesters shared that the event goes beyond Kimmel. It is a discussion about free speech and the importance of the First Amendment.
“This isn’t really about Jimmy Kimmel, this is about billionaires controlling public opinion,” said Holger Meyer, another protester in attendance.
Meyer moved to America from Germany in the 1990’s for school, and ended up staying in the country. However, he says what he’s seeing from large corporations is concerning him.
“I’m out here trying to defend specifically the first amendment, but really as a rule of law and the Constitution in general,” Meyer said.
Meyer believes that free speech allows a democracy to thrive.
“If you can’t discuss, you can’t really have the public foundation to make an informed decision,” Meyer said. “Everybody needs to take part in that public discourse.”
The event outside the ABC affiliate was one of several nationwide protests against Disney this week. On Saturday there was a rally outside the Disney store in Times Square, New York.
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