Activists urge NBC to cancel Trump's appearance on 'Saturday Night Live'

More than 30,000 ColorOfChange members joined the protest campaign demanding that NBC cancel Donald Trump’s appearance on "Saturday Night Live" on Nov. 7.

Rashad Robinson, executive director of ColorOfChange.org, said  in a news release, “This week, 'Saturday Night Live' will provide yet another platform for Donald Trump’s dangerous racism and xenophobia by allowing him to host their Nov. 7 episode. As one of the most popular late-night sketch comedy shows of all time, 'SNL' has a wide influence on pop culture. By selecting Donald Trump as a host, they legitimize Trump’s unapologetic racism and fear-mongering and make the real-world violence he incites against people of color a laughing matter."

Robinson continued, "NBC and 'SNL' have an opportunity to step up and do the right thing. Canceling Trump’s appearance will deny their platform to someone who will not only embarrass them today them but whose statements and world view will be something we look back on with shame.”

The National Hispanic Media Coalition, MoveOn.org, National Council of La Raza, Credo and others are protesting the appearance of Trump on "SNL." He also hosted the show in 2004.

Meanwhile, the AP reports that Trump drew sharp criticism in a letter signed by dozens of prominent writers, filmmakers, academics and others from the United States, Spain and Latin America attached to it, including Oscar-winning writer-director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.

"We refuse to keep silent in the face of the alarming declarations of the candidate for the presidency of the United States Donald Trump," the letter reads. "His hate speech appeals to the lowest passions like xenophobia, machismo, political intolerance and religious dogmatism."

The letter calls on the American people to "cease to tolerate his absurd positions."