Artists plan nationwide US protests against Trump and authoritarian forces'

"Artists and artistic organisations around the US are set to take part in a series of protests and events to speak out against Donald Trump and his administration. According to the New York Times, the acts of creative resistance will be known as the Fall of Freedom and will take place on 21 and 22 November. Our democracy is under attack, organisers state."

"Egan, who won the Pulitzer prize in 2011, also served as the president of PEN America between 2018 and 2020. I welcome this spur to act alongside other artists and insist on our right to think and speak freely, she said. Organisations set to take part include New York and Brooklyn public libraries, the University of Southern California and the Maysles Documentary Center."

"The initiative came from a group that includes the visual artist Dread Scott and Pulitzer prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage. The action is artistic expression, Nottage said. Expression is one of the essential ingredients in the American narrative, and it can't be stymied or silenced. According to the New York Times, Nottage recently decided not to stage one of her musicals at the Kennedy Center after Trump changed the leadership and took more control of the artistic agenda."

Artists and artistic organizations across the United States will stage coordinated protests and events called the Fall of Freedom on 21 and 22 November to resist actions perceived as undermining democracy and free expression. Organisers cite rising threats such as criminalization of dissent, media and institutions repurposed as propaganda mouthpieces, and restricted arts funding tied to specific ideological narratives. High-profile participants include filmmakers, musicians, visual artists, and authors, alongside public libraries, universities, and documentary centers. Some artists report withdrawn support or canceled stagings after leadership changes that prioritized aligned artistic agendas. The events aim to mobilize the arts community in defense of expressive rights.

Read at www.theguardian.com