No Kings – On June 14, while President Donald Trump marks his 80th birthday on the White House South Lawn, the Committee for the First Amendment will host a 90-minute “Rise Up, Sing Out” concert at The Town Hall in New York City, with roughly 500 watch parties planned na
This weekend. the White House South Lawn will be the backdrop for President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday and a UFC fight as part of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations. Across the country. organizers are turning instead to music. speeches. and living-room watch parties—aiming to keep the pressure of “No Kings” protests close to home.
On Sunday. June 14. the Committee for the First Amendment (CFA) will host “Rise Up. Sing Out: A Concert for the First Amendment. ” a 90-minute event featuring speeches and performances from Jane Fonda. Bette Midler. Patti Smith. Rufus Wainwright. and Sasha Allen. The benefit is framed as a celebration of the right of all Americans to exercise freedom of speech and religion. as well as to assemble and protest.
The concert is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET at The Town Hall in New York City. Concert organizers say there are close to 500 watch parties planned all across the country in both red states and blue states, with several thousand people signed up to watch from home.
CFA steering committee member Bruce Cohen describes the effort as more than entertainment. “We believe art and music are cornerstones of anti-authoritarian resistance,” Cohen says. “When the stories our government tells are designed to make us feel powerless and alone. art tells a different story: one of courage. connection. and collective strength. Our goal . . . is to create a space where joy. resistance. and solidarity can take center stage and be heard all over the country. Every protest movement in history has been sustained by moments of hope and togetherness like this one—and we intend to make this one count.”.
Indivisible and No Kings are co-hosting neighborhood events built around the same watch-and-discuss format. Community members will gather, watch “Rise Up, Sing Out,” and then talk about how to continue building the pro-democracy protest movement.
The decision to lean into hyper-local organizing marks a shift from previous “No Kings” protests and rallies. which organizers say have drawn millions of Americans into the streets since the beginning of Trump’s second term. The No Kings Coalition says the goal now is to bring that same momentum deeper into everyday community spaces. “We’ve shown our power in the streets time and time again. and we’re now bringing that power even more deeply into our neighborhoods. ” the No Kings Coalition tells Fast Company. “While politicians from the White House to state houses all across this country act like unaccountable kings. we’ll be doing the real work of bringing communities together in living rooms. community centers. and businesses across America.”.
That combination of mainstream cultural figures and grassroots organizing is tied to the CFA’s own history. The Committee for the First Amendment was initially created during the McCarthy Era. when the federal government targeted and blacklisted Hollywood actors. writers. and directors. along with elected officials. government employees. and academics. Its original members included actors Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, John Huston, Henry Fonda, and Lucille Ball.
Jane Fonda later relaunched the group in 2025. saying the new mission is to protect “free expression against government repression. industry complicity. and intimidation.” The re-launched committee now has over 550 members. including Spike Lee. Barbra Streisand. Ben Stiller. Billie Eilish. Jamie Lee Curtis. Viola Davis. Whoopi Goldberg. Pedro Pascal. Natalie Portman. and Michael Keaton.
Between the formal concert setting at The Town Hall and the hundreds of watch parties planned nationwide. Sunday’s schedule is designed to do something specific: keep the protest energy circulating even when people are off the streets. As Trump turns 80 with high-profile events of his own. organizers are betting that speeches. performances. and neighborhood conversations can still bind a movement together—at the scale of individual communities and everyday gatherings.
No Kings protest Committee for the First Amendment Rise Up Sing Out Jane Fonda Bette Midler Patti Smith Rufus Wainwright Sasha Allen Indivisible watch parties Trump 80th birthday The Town Hall pro-democracy movement freedom of speech and religion
So it’s a concert on his birthday, got it.
Jane Fonda and Bette Midler like… really? I mean I guess if people wanna sing on TV or whatever, but why does it have to be on Trump’s 80th day. Feels kinda petty.
I saw UFC fight and Trump’s 80th and I thought this was gonna be chaos at the White House or something. Then it’s actually some “First Amendment” concert? Bruce Cohen sounds like he’s trying to make it sound rebellious but it’s like… just watch parties in living rooms lol.
Okay but how is this “anti-authoritarian resistance” if it’s literally just speeches and performances in NYC at 7:30? Sounds like PR to me. Also I heard 500 watch parties which is random, like who counts that? And if Trump’s got a UFC fight on the South Lawn then why are they saying “No Kings” like it’s gonna stop something. People will protest no matter what, not because Patti Smith shows up.