A “We’re With Colbert” rally intended to defend free speech and support ousted CBS late-night host Stephen Colbert turned into an awkward spectacle Sunday in New York City, drawing a crowd of just 20 protesters. Held outside the CBS Broadcast Center on Manhattan’s West Side, the rally fizzled out as quickly as it began, with even police officers assigned to monitor the protest leaving early, according to the New York Post.

The protest was organized by a man who only identified himself as “Matt,” with the nickname “Slim.” Matt delivered impassioned remarks about free expression, warning that America is heading into dangerous territory under what he called the rule of “Mango Mussolini”—a pejorative nickname for President Trump.

“But we’ve always had the First Amendment,” he told reporters. “And now Mango Mussolini is trying to take that from us.”

Other protesters echoed similar themes, accusing the Trump administration of trying to suppress dissent and silence Colbert, whose sharp monologues have long targeted conservatives and the former president. One demonstrator said, “This is the Sons of Liberty. We are here to resist fascist oligarchs, wish-dot-com dictators, billionaires who have their boots on the neck of nearly every American citizen.”

Another protester claimed that the president’s distaste for Colbert’s views represented a broader attack on the press. “If people like Stephen are not allowed to disagree because the president doesn’t like his opinion, then the president himself is not following the First Amendment,” they declared. “I personally do not agree with our politicians meddling with our free press.”

Protest signs tried to stir urgency and historical gravity. One placard warned, “Sorry Folks, But Ignoring It Is What Hitler Did.” Another stated, “He Wants To Kill Our Laughter, Heil To The No No No!”

Yet despite the theatrical messaging, the rally was poorly attended and short-lived. Attendees dispersed quickly after the event started, leaving behind more questions than momentum.

Colbert’s ousting came amid CBS’s corporate shakeup tied to the Skydance–Paramount merger. While network executives have downplayed political motivations, rumors have swirled that new leadership found Colbert’s commentary increasingly risky in a shifting media climate. According to Variety, CBS made the decision to end The Late Show on July 17, after nearly a decade of Colbert at the helm.

The rally may have intended to galvanize outrage and spark a cultural defense of the embattled comedian, but with such a thin turnout and few sticking around, it may have had the opposite effect: a visible reminder of the left’s waning pop culture grip.

And as one Twitter user quipped, “If only more of his audience got off the couch.”