Jane Fonda

Source: James Franklin

Jane Fonda

Oscar- and Bafta-winning actress and activist Jane Fonda is reviving the Committee For The First Amendment as constitutional rights granting freedom of speech and the press come under attack in the United States.

The reimagined Committee is based on its precursor dating back nearly 80 years when Hollywood stars of the day protested anti-Communist hearings. It has released a statement signed by more than 550 figures from the entertainment industry decrying what it called a “coordinated campaign” by the US federal government “to silence critics in the government, the media, the judiciary, academia, and the entertainment industry”.

At time of writing, signatories included Aaron Sorkin, Helen Mirren, Pedro Pascal, Ben Stiller, Spike Lee, Alex Gibney, Barbra Streisand, JJ Abrams, Lisa Joy, Ali Abassi, and Whoopi Goldberg, among many other household names.

Scroll to bottom to read full statement

Since becoming president for the second time, Donald Trump has sought to silence critics in media, education, entertainment, science, and law. He most recently lashed out against ABC talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, whose show Jimmy Kimmel Live! was temporarily suspended after comments made in the wake of the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

The Committee’s statement referenced the McCarthy Era, named after Senator Joseph McCarthy, who gained notoriety in the early 1950s as the face of the US government’s anti-Communist witch-hunts.

It said: “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. Those forces have returned. And it is our turn to stand together in defence of our constitutional rights.”

In a letter urging people urging people to sign the statement, Fonda said: “I’m 87 years old. I’ve seen war, repression, protest, and backlash. I’ve been celebrated, and I’ve been branded an enemy of the state. But I can tell you this: this is the most frightening moment of my life […] The only thing that has ever worked – time and time again – is solidarity: binding together, finding bravery in numbers too big to ignore, and standing up for one another.”

Fonda was famous for her activism and sparked controversy when she visited North Vietnam at the height of the Vietnam War in 1972 to highlight the plight of the Vietnamese under the military might of the United States. Her actions proved divisive and she was variously labelled a hero and a traitor upon her return, earning the sobriquet ”Hanoi Jane”.

The original Committee For The First Amendment was founded in 1947 to support the “Hollywood Ten” blacklisted writers during the hearings of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). Committee members included Fonda’s father Henry Fonda, Lucille Ball, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Judy Garland, and Frank Sinatra. 

The committee takes its name from The First Amendement to the US Constitution that protects five freedoms from government interference: religion, speech, the press, peaceful assembly, and the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

The full statement from the Committee  appears below:

Today, we relaunch the Committee for the First Amendment. 

This Committee was initially created during the McCarthy Era, a dark time when the federal government repressed and persecuted American citizens for their political beliefs. They targeted elected officials, government employees, academics, and artists. They were blacklisted, harassed, silenced, and even imprisoned. 

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.

Those forces have returned. And it is our turn to stand together in defense of our constitutional rights. 

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. 

We refuse to stand by and let that happen. Free speech and free expression are the inalienable rights of every American of all backgrounds and political beliefs – no matter how liberal or conservative you may be. The ability to criticise, question, protest, and even mock those in power is foundational to what America has always aspired to be. 

We understand that this is a frightening and confusing moment for many people. We recognise that we represent just one group of many who are under threat right now. Across classrooms, libraries, factories, companies and workplaces of all kinds, Americans of every walk of life are facing intimidation and censorship too — and we stand with them.

We know there is power in solidarity and strength in numbers. We will stand together – fiercely united – to defend free speech and expression from this assault. This is not a partisan issue. That is why we urge every American who cares about the First Amendment – the cornerstone of our democracy – and every artist around the globe who looks to the United States as a beacon of freedom to join us.

And 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.

In Solidarity,

Jane Fonda

 

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