A planned rally in New York City to show support for outgoing “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert fizzled out on Sunday, with fewer than two dozen demonstrators turning up and police packing up not long after the gathering began. The protest, called “We’re With Colbert,” was held outside the CBS Broadcast Center on Manhattan’s West Side. Organisers claimed it was part of a nationwide call to defend “integrity” in media and freedom of speech. “Our country is not perfect, never has been,” said the event’s organiser, who identified himself only as Matt, going by the nickname “Slim.” “But we’ve always had the First Amendment, and now Mango Mussolini is trying to take that from us,” he added, using a derogatory nickname for US President Donald Trump. The event followed CBS’s decision to axe The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in May 2026, citing falling viewership and declining profits. The 61-year-old host has frequently taken aim at Trump on his programme, prompting speculation that the cancellation was more political than financial. “This is a First Amendment attack,” one protester told the New York Post. “We can’t stand for that.”A week earlier, CBS’s parent company recently completed an $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media, a deal that required federal approval and was finalised shortly after Colbert was told this season would be his last. Colbert’s show has also faced criticism from conservative commentators for perceived political bias. According to MRC NewsBusters, a right-leaning media watchdog, the programme featured 176 liberal guests and just one Republican between 2022 and 2025. Despite the intended message of Sunday’s demonstration, most of the attendees had left within minutes, leaving little more than an empty sidewalk and bemused NYPD officers.