Protest at 'ban' on her book

Police have thrown Joan Rivers out of a Californian store, after she staged a protest over their refusal to stock her book.

The comic was escorted out of the Burbank branch of bulk-buy retailer Costco after staging an impromptu signing session of her book I Hate Everyone... Starting With Me.

The chain of 429 US stores is said to have banned the title because of fictional quotes on the back cover, including Marie Antoinette saying: ‘I don’t like her. Let her eat shit’ and late basketball player Wilt Chamberlain – who claimed to have slept with 20,000 women – saying: ‘Even if I were alive I wouldn’t fuck her.”

Speaking through a megaphone, she told the crowds of shoppers who gathered: 'Costco, who sells condoms by the pallet, who sells [chef] Paula Deen books and - which is not good for their customers' health - they decided to ban my book.’

The 79-year-old, who was accompanied by a film crews, added that the ban was s feedom of speech issue. 'This is a First Amendment violation,’ she said. ‘You're banning a book because it says a funny quote by Marie Antoinette? Where is this going to lead us to?’

City officials said that the incident ‘sounds like a staged media event’ and said no criminal charges would be filed.

Here is a US news report on the incident:

Published: 8 Aug 2012