By: Express Web DeskSeptember 23, 2025 12:48 AM IST 3 min readDemocrat New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Monday said he is pulling out of a town hall held by a local ABC station to protest the Disney-owned network suspending late-night host Jimmy Kimmel last week. Mamdani was scheduled to attend a town hall on Thursday organized by WABC-TV, a New York City-based local affiliate owned and operated by ABC.Mamdani pulls out of ABC town hall“I am withdrawing not as an indictment of the local affiliate or the hardworking journalists, but rather in response to the corporate leaders who have put their bottom line ahead of their responsibility in upholding the freedom of the press,“ Mamdani said in a statement. Eddy Patino holds a sign and waves a U.S. flag at a demonstration in response to the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show outside of The Walt Disney Studios. (Photo: AP)ABC’s suspension of Jimmy KimmelJimmy Kimmel, who had been hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC since 2003, was suspended indefinitely last week following backlash over the host’s comments about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, for saying “many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk.”While ABC indefinitely pulled Kimmel off air after broadcasters Nexstar and Sinclair said they wouldn’t air “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, many believe that the Disney-owned network was threatened with repercussions by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr.Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension backfiresKimmel’s suspension has prompted debate about free speech and government censorship. More than 430 people in the entertainment business added their names to an open letter Monday from the American Civil Liberties Union that calls the move “a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.”In his statement, Mamdani said the suspension sends “a message that the First Amendment is no longer a right that can be counted on, but rather that it is the government which will determine what should and should not be discussed, what can and cannot be spoken.”The indefinite suspension of Kimmel has also backfired on Disney, with its headquarters, studio and theme parks witnessing widespread protests. Many have also called for a boycott of Disney and are cancelling their subscriptions, as a mark of protest.Story continues below this ad Demonstrators hold signs outside El Capitan Entertainment Centre. (Photo: AP)Former CEO criticises DisneyEven former Disney chief executive Michael Eisner had some negative feedback for his successor Bob Iger over Kimmel’s suspension.“Where has all the leadership gone? If not for university presidents, law firm managing partners, and corporate chief executives standing up against bullies, who then will step up for the first amendment?” Eisner who served as CEO between 1984 to 2005 said in a post on X.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdTags:Jimmy KimmelZohran Mamdani