“Colbert to stay”: Protesters gather outside Ed Sullivan Theater in NYC to show their support for The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is a late-night news and talk show that is hosted by Stephen Colbert since 2015. It is the successor to The Late Show with David Letterman and Colbert became the new host after Letterman retired.

The show has been airing for 33 years and is a cultural pillar of late-night television. As Colbert used to host a more politically charged show before becoming the new host of The Late Show, he has carried over his style of satirizing and discussing current events that revolve around American politics.

This has brewed controversy recently as the show’s channel partner, CBS, announced on July 17, 2025 that it will cancel The Late Show franchise altogether in May 2026. The news of the cancellation has led to a furor as activists and celebrities have come out to openly support Stephen Colbert and have remarked over the political motivations behind the incident.

From fresh protests outside the iconic Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City to politicians and celebrities condemning the cancellation, the cancellation of the show has led to a public outcry over the politicization of shows and the restriction of democratic rights.

Public rallying and unrest over the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

The shocking news that erupted last week about The Late Show with Stephen Colbert being cancelled has hit the nerves of quite a lot of people. Activists are reportedly rallying around and according to Deadline, the streets outside the historic Ed Sullivan Theater, where Stephen Colbert records the The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, has been flooded by protesters. People have come out in droves to express their outrage over the cancellation of the CBS program.

Protesters reportedly shouted “Colbert Stays! Trump Must Go!” while rallying around the Theater in New York City. The protests have been organized with assistance from the resistance group “Refuse Fascism” and their demonstrations reveal that many people believe that the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has political motivations behind the decision.

A petition with over 100,000 signatures has also been circulated and there are hopes that it will be delivered to the CBS headquarters. More protests are planned and the “Progressive Change Campaign” will organize the rally.

Why is there a furor over the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert?

The cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert took everyone by surprise as the show has been going on for many years and is a pop culture staple. However, people have begun to theorize that there are political motivations behind the cancellation as the show openly criticized US President Donald Trump.

Even senator Elizabeth Warren has pointed out that the CBS’s decision to cancel the show comes out just three days after Colbert called out CBS’s parent company Paramount’s $16 million settlement with Trump over the station’s controversial “60 Minutes” interview of Kamala Harris during the 2024 election campaign.

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On the other hand, CBS executives maintain that the decision has been taken from “purely” a financial viewpoint and that the late night slot has become challenging. They have even mentioned that the decision “is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content, or other matters happening at Paramount.” However, people do not believe in this explanation.

From Sally Field to Ben Stiller, many celebrities have come out in support of Stephen Colbert and protested against the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

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