Jane Fonda, Robert De Niro, and Bette Midler headlined a star-studded benefit concert in New York City on Sunday night, targeting Donald Trump and his administration's policies. The event, titled Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the First Amendment, was organized by the Committee for the First Amendment and co-executive produced by Fonda. It served as a powerful celebration of free speech, offering fierce opposition to Trump's agenda.
Held at Manhattan's Town Hall, a venue with historical ties to the suffragette movement, the two-and-a-half-hour variety show gathered some of Trump's most vocal critics. The concert coincided with the White House's controversial UFC match, highlighting the contrast between different interpretations of free expression.
De Niro's Fierce Remarks
Robert De Niro opened the event with a sharp jab: "Good evening, everyone, and welcome to all of you who couldn't get tickets to the White House cage fights." He continued, "When I hear Trump say, as he did a few days ago, 'I don't think about Americans' financial situation, not even a little bit,' I say, 'Shut the f*** up.'" The audience repeatedly chanted the latter phrase in solidarity.
De Niro also stated, "I don't love a country that's led by a racist, misogynist, xenophobic tyrant," drawing cheers from the crowd. His speech came after the final event of his 25th annual Tribeca film festival earlier that day.
Fonda's Call to Action
Jane Fonda used softer language but matched De Niro's intensity. "The government and its cronies are routinely violating the first amendment to silence artists, shuttering institutions like the Kennedy Center and defunding museums," she said. Fonda highlighted the revival of the Committee for the First Amendment, which her father Henry Fonda helped found in 1947 to support the Hollywood Ten.
"What is really different from the last century is that the attacks are coming from every part of the government: the executive, the legislative and the supreme court," she proclaimed. "There is a clear effort to destroy our fundamental Democratic rights and dramatically retake our form of government … no way. I think the un-American Activities Committee right now is coming from the White House."
Performances and Speeches
The concert featured performances from Rufus Wainwright, who sang Somewhere Over the Rainbow, and Patti Smith, who brought the crowd to its feet with her 1988 protest anthem People Have the Power. Bette Midler delivered a rousing version of Woody Guthrie's 1944 protest song All You Fascists Bound to Lose, with updated lyrics including "We're gonna win the midterms, we're coming for his ass."
"I'm so thrilled that you understand," Midler told the audience. "I feel like I'm part of a community that is so bright, so intelligent, so well meaning, and so desperate for justice. I've been around a long time, but I've never been through what we're living through now."
Diverse Voices Speak Out
Lily Gladstone, an actor raised on a Blackfeet Reservation, addressed the Native American experience. "For many Americans, this era of division, of stolen speech, broken promises, families torn apart, of risking all you have for the simple right to exist as you are, may feel unprecedented," she said. "For the first peoples of this land, unfortunately, this has been ongoing since the birth of this country as we know it today."
Julia Roberts recited a poem by Amanda Gorman in honor of Renée Good, a 37-year-old queer woman shot and killed by ICE in Minneapolis earlier this year. "Renée Nicole Good was not a symbol," Roberts said. "She was an American woman, a queer woman, who was doing the very best she could do to be good in an unjust world."
Wilson Cruz and RuPaul's Drag Race star Peppermint highlighted LGBTQ+ issues during Pride month. "We live in a time where the spotlight is dangerous for so many trans Americans," Peppermint said. "Trans children who should be living openly in their truth are intimidated by a government that cares more about censoring their bodies than feeding them."
Formerly detained children led the audience in song, and a trio of diverse faith leaders spoke, including Rabbi Rachel Tomoner from Congregation Beth Elohim. "As American Jews, we have been grateful to live in a country that has recognized and safeguarded our religion and all other religions as legitimate expressions of faith," she said.
Closing Remarks
As the night wrapped up, Fonda pointed to multiple action items for supporters, including a call to representatives to block the Paramount and Warner Bros merger. "We have sung out, and now it's time for us to rise up," she said to cheers.
