Editor’s note: Staten Island Comic fans will be happy to learn about the first annual Staten Island Comic Fest, also being held this Sunday but in the morning to early afternoon. Admission to this event is free. CATO Institute recently discussed how the First Amendment and true freedom of speech only exists when it’s shared by all – immigrant and citizen alike. And Senator Sanders opined about how CBS/ Paramount should stand up for free speech and not cave to this presidential administration’s demands on them.
Attending the concert in person is $330 per person, so out of reach for some, but there are many watch parties across the country where it can be watched for free. Learn more at the link below to their official site. All proceeds benefit the group Committee for the First Amendment. People can also watch from their own homes for free instead of going to a watch party.
On June 14, the Committee for the First Amendment will be hosting Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the First Amendment, an uplifting evening of song, solidarity, and action. Featuring an all-star line-up of performers, this 90-minute concert event will celebrate the freedoms guaranteed by our First Amendment—of speech, religion, press, assembly, and protest—and the people power that both fuels these rights and is essential to guarantee them.
Even as authoritarians increase their attacks on our freedoms and communities, we see examples across the country of people rising up together, taking action, and turning back those forces.
The event will be streamed with watch parties all across the country—so wherever you are, you can sing along, find inspiration in the performances, build community, and take meaningful action together.
The Committee for the First Amendment
Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the First Amendment
The Committee for the First Amendment presents Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the First Amendment a rousing 90-minute evening of song, solidarity, and action at The Town Hall in New York City. Featuring performances and appearances by Rufus Wainwright, Bette Midler, Patti Smith, Sasha Allen, Joy Reid and Jane Fonda with more to be announced. In a moment when our fundamental freedoms are under threat, music has always led the way. From the civil rights movement to today, artists have been at the forefront of the fight for justice and free expression. Join us for an uplifting night that celebrates the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment speech, religion, press, assembly, and protest and find out how you can take action. Don’t miss this one of a kind night. Get your tickets now. All proceeds benefit the Committee for the First Amendment.
See Jane Fonda discuss the concert on Instagram.
About the Committee for the First Amendment
The Committee for the First Amendment is a large collective of artists, storytellers, and cultural leaders standing together to defend free expression against government repression, industry complicity, and intimidation. The Committee was publicly announced on October 1, 2025 with a statement from Jane Fonda and more than 550 supporters from across the entertainment industry. The statement was a declaration of the signees’ shared desire to act in the face of encroaching authoritarianism and served as a signal to the world that members of the industry are ready to mobilize when their colleagues and freedoms are under attack.
The Committee draws inspiration from the original Committee for the First Amendment, when artists like Lucille Ball, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Jane’s father Henry Fonda stood up to government attacks during the darkness of the McCarthy era. Today, the Committee continues in that spirit: preparing for what’s coming, resisting with non-cooperation—but always non-violence—when necessary, and ensuring our collective voice is loud and purposeful in these dangerous times.
Banner Image: Rise Up, Sing Out. Image Credit – Committee for the First Amendment
Committee for the First Amendment
The Committee for the First Amendment is a large collective of artists, storytellers, and cultural leaders standing together to defend free expression against government repression, industry complicity, and intimidation. The Committee was publicly announced on October 1, 2025 with a statement from Jane Fonda and more than 550 supporters from across the entertainment industry. The statement was a declaration of the signees' shared desire to act in the face of encroaching authoritarianism and served as a signal to the world that members of the industry are ready to mobilize when their colleagues and freedoms are under attack.