Close to 500 Conan O’Brien fans plan to gather outside NBC Studios – yes, this station’s front door -- at 4:30 p.m. to voice support for soon-to-be-unemployed “The Tonight Show” host.
Mike Mitchell, a former Chicagoan and the organizer behind the rally and its popular "I'm With Coco" Facebook group, is exhorting supporters of the red-headed late-night host to wear orange, bring signs and be civil during a demonstration intent on showing NBC executives that Conan fans aren't happy about his likely departure.
"We're about supporting Conan and his staff during this debacle," Mitchell said. "Conan's been there for us for 17 years and it'll be cool to show our support for a pop-culture figure like him in such a big way."
The “I’m With Coco” rally isn’t reserved specifically for Chicago, however.
Mitchell has managed to organize demonstrations in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Seattle. Rally participants in LA will carry professionally designed protest signs and large vinyl banners donated by supporters.
Not that Mitchell, who plans to attend the Los Angeles rally, thinks the rallies will do much good.
"NBC, I think, has already made their mind up," Mitchell, 27, told the Chicago Tribune. "Maybe (the protest) is more of a thing to show that there's a lot of Conan fans."
Executives are expected to make an announcement on the future of the "The Tonight Show" as early as today.
