Controversial 'Seinfeld' Episode Caused Protests Outside NBC

The "The Puerto Rican Day" episode of Seinfeld, which aired one week before the series’ controversial finale in 1998, sparked a wave of protests after a scene in which Kramer (Michael Richards) accidentally sets a Puerto Rican flag on fire and stomps on it to put out the flames.

The scene, which showed Puerto Ricans chasing Kramer and destroying Jerry’s car, was seen as disrespectful by the Puerto Rican community. Manuel Mirabal, president of the National Puerto Rican Coalition, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that "the flag is a symbol of a proud people and a standard of honor... it is not a subject for jokes or disrespect".

Protests took place outside NBC headquarters in New York, and the network issued an apology, saying that the show’s comedy "does not diminish the respect we have for the Puerto Rican flag". The episode was pulled from the schedule for more than four years before being cleared for syndication. Critics pointed out that disrespect toward the flag was a sensitive issue, since the U.S. banned its display in Puerto Rico between 1948 and 1957, turning it into a symbol of colonial resistance.

Jerry Seinfeld never formally apologized and, in a documentary about the series, said he asked a leader of a Puerto Rican coalition: "But you still haven’t seen the episode. How do you know there’s something in it you want to protest?" The response was: "We assume it’s offensive". Jason Alexander, who played George Costanza, defended the episode: "If there is any criticism, it’s aimed at Kramer".

Three months later, Seinfeld was still facing protests at his Broadway shows, where he reportedly waved a white handkerchief and murmured "sorry" to the demonstrators. Executive producer George Shapiro said that after the final show, Seinfeld crossed the street and shook hands with some of the protesters, which reportedly eased the tension.