Dispatches From The Picket Lines, Day 22: 30 Rock Protest Draws Big Names & Huge Crowds In NYC

deadline.com:

As the WGA strike entered its fourth week, Tony Kushner swore, Steve Earle sang, Wanda Sykes led union chants and Busy Philipps told CEO jokes for more than 1,000 demonstrators and hundreds of onlookers who filled the street in front of NBCUniversal headquarters Tuesday in Midtown Manhattan.

With a starry speakers list, celebrities dotting the crowd and turnout from several local labor unions, a “Rally at the Rock” outside 30 Rockefeller Plaza in support of striking movie and television writers filled one barricaded side of West 49th Street between 5th and 6th avenues — the equivalent of three city blocks — with cheering, sign-waving protestors who stayed for more than two hours.

It was the largest turnout for any event organized by members of the Writers Guild of America East since the strike against film and television producers began May 2, a WGA representative told Deadline.  “We’ve get every frickin’ union in the city of New York in the house!” WGA Executive Director Lowell Peterson, the last of more than a dozen speakers, raved in his turn at the podium before turning the stage over to singer-songwriter and Screen Actors Guild member Steve Earle, who closed out the rally by performing voice-and-guitar versions of his songs, “Union, God and Country” and “Way Down in the Hole.” Here is the singer-songwriter-guitarist, part-time actor and hardcore troubadour explaining why he was on the line (and because the rebranded Max went live today, do yourself a favor and stream some Treme):“I’ve been a union member since I was 19 years old… I had to suit up and show up” –  Steve Earle tells Deadline outside of 30 Rock in New York City today #WritersStrike pic.twitter.com/4QiImTljxD On a sunny late morning and early