Hollywood stars take aim at Trump, defend First Amendment rights

The UFC Freedom 250 event held at the White House drew sharp backlash from a segment of the entertainment industry, leading to the high-profile counter-demonstration, "Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the First Amendment." Organized by the Committee for the First Amendment, a group founded in 1947 and revived by actor Jane Fonda, the event featured celebrities like Julia Roberts, Robert De Niro, Tessa Thompson, Ms. Rachel, and Sasha Allen.

Speaking at the event, Fonda accused the administration of trampling on the First Amendment. "The government is routinely violating the First Amendment to silence artists, shuttering institutions like the Kennedy Center, defunding museums and the National Endowment for the Arts, banning books, and canceling TV hosts who speak out. And it's being allowed by cowardly corporations," she said.

Fonda urged Americans to take a stand against the violation of these rights in a non-violent and creative manner. "It's not about Democrat or Republican or left or right. It's about right or wrong, and it is wrong for people to be attacked and called terrorists for exercising their rights and freedoms. It's time for Americans all across the country, all across the political spectrum, who care about these freedoms, to stand up creatively, non-violently, to defend these rights while we can. We must do this now. Because if we don't, we're not going to have any rights to defend," she added.

One of the highlights of the event came in the form of De Niro's speech. "I can't love a country that starts stupid and inhumane wars, killing thousands of innocents and indirectly causing the deaths and suffering of millions more," he said. "I can't love a country that sends out masked militias to shoot citizens in the streets, torture our neighbors, and separate families. I can't love a country that's led by a racist, misogynist, xenophobic tyrant. And let me just say it: I can't love a country that's led by Donald Trump and his sycophant Congress," he added. De Niro, a long-time critic of President Trump, claimed that he would like his country "back."

Actor Julia Roberts, too, did not shy away from criticising the Trump administration. She urged those gathered at the venue to be hopeful at a time when things might not be the way they liked. "I can't turn the news on. I don't want to hear it. But we have to hear it. We have to face it. But if we keep inhaling and exhaling, we will prevail," she said.