Jane Fonda to host First Amendment celebration opposite Trump’s UFC Freedom 250 event
As mixed martial arts fighters gather on Sunday on the South Lawn of the White House in a cage match to celebrate President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday — a spectacle kicking off a series of events commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary — actor and activist Jane Fonda will sponsor entertainment of a different sort from New York City.
Fonda’s advocacy group, Committee for the First Amendment, will host a concert featuring actors, musicians and public figures appearing in support of free speech and democracy — principles that have come under attack during Trump’s presidency, according to Fonda.
“This is our documentary moment,” Fonda told Reuters in an interview. “History is going to write about this, and I don’t want to be on the side of people who said, ‘Oh my God, things are so bad, what am I going to do?’ No. I want to be out in the front.”
The “Rise Up, Sing Out” concert, which begins at 7:30 p.m. EDT (2330 GMT) on Sunday, will include performances or appearances by Julia Roberts, Lily Gladstone, Bette Midler, Patti Smith and Rufus Wainwright. The event takes place at The Town Hall, a century-old landmark founded by suffragists, and will be available to watch via livestream. [Continue reading…]