More than 400 celebrities have signed a statement in support of Jimmy Kimmel, whose late-night talk show has been suspended indefinitely.

On Monday, September 22, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) issued an open letter upholding the constitutional right to free expression six days after Disney’s ABC canceled Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Along with the message, hundreds of significant figures in the entertainment world stand “in solidarity” with the group and Kimmel.

“We the people must never accept government threats to our freedom of speech,” the letter’s title states. “Efforts by leaders to pressure artists, journalists, and companies with retaliation for their speech strike at the heart of what it means to live in a free country.”

“Last week, Jimmy Kimmel was taken off the air after the government threatened a private company with retaliation, marking a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation,” the story goes. “In an attempt to suppress its critics, our administration has threatened the careers of journalists, talk show presenters, artists, creatives, and entertainers alike. This contradicts the ideals on which our country was founded, as guaranteed by our Constitution.”

It went on to acknowledge those who “are also facing direct attacks on their freedom of expression,” including “teachers, government employees, law firms, researchers, universities, students, and so many more.”

“Regardless of our political affiliation, or whether we engage in politics or not, we all love our country,” according to the letter. “We also share the belief that our voices should never be silenced by those in power—because if it happens to one of us, it happens to all of us.”

It ends, “Now is the time to protect free speech across our land. We urge all Americans to join us, along with the ACLU, in the struggle to safeguard and maintain our constitutionally guaranteed rights.”

In addition to Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, and Tom Hanks, the letter was signed by other Disney stars, including Selena Gomez, Pedro Pascal, Diego Luna, Martin Short, and Meryl Streep.

Other actors include Jason Bateman, Robert De Niro, Jane Fonda, Elizabeth Banks, Olivia Rodrigo, Ben Stiller, Jean Smart, Jamie Lee Curtis, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Keaton, Regina King, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Natalie Portman, Maya Rudolph, Mark Ruffalo, and Kerry Washington.

The late-night show, which Kimmel has helmed since 2003, was yanked by Disney’s ABC hours before its September 17 broadcast due to statements the comic made on the show earlier that week about Charlie Kirk’s tragic shooting.

Kirk, a 31-year-old Turning Point USA founder and conservative broadcaster, was shot and murdered during a campus engagement at Utah Valley University on September 10. Two days later, police stated in a news conference that they had arrested a suspect, Tyler Robinson, who has since been charged with aggravated murder and six additional offenses.

“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said on Sept. 15, 2018. “In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.”

“On Friday, the White House flew the flags at half-staff, which got some criticism, but on a human level, you can see how hard the president is taking this,” he explained.

Footage then cut into Kimmel’s show, showing Trump, 79, answering questions from reporters following the shooting, one of whom expressed sorrow for the murder of the president’s “friend,” Kirk.

When asked how he was doing, Trump said, “I think very good, and by the way, right there where you see all the trucks, they just started construction of the new ballroom for the White House.”

Trump continued to describe the ballroom designs, claiming that the end product will “be a beauty.”

The cameras then focused back on Kimmel. “Yes, he’s in the fourth stage of grief, construction,” the comic stated.

In a statement to PEOPLE, Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar Media’s broadcasting division, called Kimmel’s remarks “offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse.” Nexstar is the largest local broadcasting and digital media firm in the United States, with over 200 television stations in 116 areas.

Alford further stated that the corporation does not feel Kimmel’s remarks “reflect the spectrum of opinions, views, or values of the local communities in which we are located.”

“Continuing to give Mr. Kimmel a broadcast platform in the communities we serve is simply not in the public interest at the current time, and we have made the difficult decision to preempt his show in an effort to let cooler heads prevail as we move toward the resumption of respectful, constructive dialogue,” he told the newspaper.

The show’s cancellation came after Nexstar Media announced that it will purchase rival broadcaster Tegna for $6.2 billion, putting it in 80% of America’s TV-owning households, according to a press release. The purchase would require final clearance from the Trump-controlled Federal Communications Commission.

FCC Chair Brendan Carr hailed the decision, writing on X that “it is important for broadcasters to push back against Disney programming that they determine falls short of community values.”

Sinclair, the broadcasting company that comprises the nation’s largest ABC affiliate group, stated in a press release on September 17 that it “objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the assassination of Charlie Kirk” and, following discussions with ABC, decided to “indefinitely preempt” Jimmy Kimmel Live! beginning that night.

“Mr. Kimmel’s remarks were inappropriate and deeply insensitive at a critical moment for our country,” Sinclair vice chairman Jason Smith said in a statement. “We believe broadcasters have a responsibility to educate and elevate respectful, constructive dialogue in our communities.”

“We appreciate FCC Chairman [Brendan] Carr’s remarks today, and this incident highlights the critical need for the FCC to take immediate regulatory action to address control held over local broadcasters by the big national networks,” Smith told reporters.

Sinclair has issued a list of requests for Kimmel to return on the air. The business requested “formal discussions” with ABC “regarding the network’s commitment to professionalism and accountability.”

It also requested that Kimmel “issue a direct apology to the Kirk family” and make a “meaningful personal donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA,” Kirk’s nonprofit organization that promotes conservative ideology on high school, college, and university campuses.

Meanwhile, on a state visit to the United Kingdom on September 18, Trump stated that the presenter was “fired for lack of talent.”

“Jimmy Kimmel was fired because he had bad ratings more than anything else, and he said a horrible thing about a great man named Charlie Kirk,” Mr. Trump stated. “Jimmy Kimmel is not a talented person; he had very bad ratings, and they should have fired him a long time ago.”