Police remove Joan Rivers from store over protest

JOAN RIVERS was removed from a California store by police on Tuesday (07Aug12) after she staged an unofficial protest over the banning of her book.

The comedienne is unhappy that bosses at Costco have refused to stock I Hate Everyone... Starting With Me because of its controversial content, so she made an appearance at the Burbank branch armed with a box of books and megaphone.

Rivers was reportedly selling copies of the tome to customers outside the shop, before heading inside and handcuffing herself to a female shopper's trolley - and store managers subsequently called police to report the commotion.

Cops arrived at the store and asked Rivers to leave. She complied and no charges will be filed.

Rivers tells America's ABC TV news, "So 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... This is a First Amendment violation... This is a store that sells 300 rolls of toilet paper at the same time, and I say any customer that buys 300 rolls of toilet paper deserves a funny book to sit on the toilet and read."