'Trans lives matter', Netflix employees protest over Dave Chappelle's special

Amid cheers and chants of “Team trans!,” dozens of Netflix employees walked out of a company office building in Los Angeles, protesting a recent Dave Chappelle stand-up special, in one of the most visible signs of worker unrest in the history of the streaming service. Critics inside and outside the company have said that Chappelle’s show, “The Closer,” promotes bigotry against transgender people. The protest put the entertainment company directly at the centre of broader cultural debates about transphobia, free speech and employee activism.

Amid cheers and chants of “Team trans!,” dozens of Netflix employees walked out of a company office building in Los Angeles and held a protest against a recent Dave Chappelle stand-up special. Credit: Reuters Photo

Critics inside and outside the company have said that Chappelle’s show, “The Closer,” promotes bigotry against transgender people. Credit: AFP Photo

The protest put the entertainment company directly at the centre of broader cultural debates about transphobia, free speech and employee activism. Credit: AFP Photo

Carrying several placards, the employees joined more than 100 supporters and activists who had begun rallying a couple of hours before. Credit: AFP Photo

In addition to the scene in Los Angeles, some Netflix staffers working remotely shut their laptops and called off work for the day at noon. Credit: Reuters Photo

However, it is unclear how many at Netflix, which had more than 9,000 full-time employees globally at the end of last year, participated in the virtual walkout. Credit: AFP Photo

Under bright skies, activists and supporters vastly outnumbered a small group of counterprotesters who carried signs that read “Jokes Are Funny” and “Netflix, Don’t Cancel Free Speech.” Credit: AFP Photo

People attend a rally in support of the Netflix transgender employee walkout