Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Pershing Square Says 'NO' To Sanity, Denies Permit For Los Angeles' Jon Stewart Rally
Image by Ron Bassilian via Rally To Restore Sanity: Los Angeles on Facebook
Image by Ron Bassilian via Rally To Restore Sanity: Los Angeles on Facebook
Comedy will be king on October 30 when Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert hold dueling rallies on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. In Los Angeles and other parts of the known world, shadow rallies are being organized in solidarity of inside-voices, sanity, and not throwing stuff.
Stewart announced The Rally to Restore Sanity as plea for the country to "take it down it down a notch," with Colbert's March to Keep Fear Alive functioning as its faux pundit-fueled conservative counterpart. Both are a parody of, and an alternative to, the current state of rallies in the nation.
It's a platform for the like-minded "busy majority" of relatively mellow humans to gather and be heard. But chill-like. "We're looking for the people who think shouting is annoying, counterproductive, and terrible for your throat; who feel that the loudest voices shouldn't be the only ones that get heard; and who believe that the only time it's appropriate to draw a Hitler mustache on someone is when that person is actually Hitler. Or Charlie Chaplin in certain roles."
Yesterday, organizers in Los Angeles were denied a permit to gather for the rally in downtown's Pershing Square, and are currently looking for a new venue.
Not in L.A? Find your nearest rally at RALLYMAO.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
