When a few dozen protesters appeared in front of Boston’s Catholic Cathedral to protest local scandals, major media coverage could not have been greater. However, when over two hundred protesters appeared on the same weekend on a media giant’s doorstep, reporters were hard to find. Tragically, Catholics have come to expect such treatment from ABC/Disney, which continues to produce and broadcast material considered highly offensive and blasphemous.
On June 22, the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) with its America Needs Fatima campaign organized a protest of reparation at the ABC/Disney headquarters in Burbank, Calif. The rally was sparked by blasphemous remarks on the March 4 show of Bill Maher’s late-night talk show, Politically Incorrect.
In an apparent victory for anti-blasphemy activists, the Bill Maher’s show was cancelled for next season. However, it will be replaced with a comedy hour hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, who blasphemously insulted the Catholic Church and Our Lord on that same March 4 episode of Politically Incorrect.
Friends and supporters across the nation sent in thousands of protest postcards and hundreds of emails, demanding an end to blasphemy on ABC and an unqualified written apology. They also protested Jimmy Kimmel’s new show.
“ABC’s actions prove that our protests can produce results,” said America Needs Fatima Director Robert Ritchie. “But Mr. Kimmel’s new show adds insult to injury.”
TFP vice president Thomas McKenna led the program which included speeches by local supporters and the rosary and other prayers. Religious hymns were sung intermittently and the crowd shouted protest slogans. The TFP standard and other banners made the protest highly visible to passing cars. Local people exclaimed how they were encouraged by the fact to see Catholics stand up to the media giant.