3 hours ago
5
Thousands join protest outside Kennedy Center. (AP Photo)
Thousands of protesters gathered outside the Kennedy Center in Washington on Friday evening, forming a human chain around the iconic arts venue as they opposed President Donald Trump’s plans for the institution and his threat to potentially demolish it.The demonstration, organised by arts advocacy group Hands Off the Arts, saw crowds gather around the building as its facade remained covered by scaffolding and tarpaulins.Protesters carried signs reading “Hands off Kennedy Center”, “Donny, you are no JFK” and “Our center not DJT’s”, while others sang and chanted beneath the setting sun.
The protest came days after the Kennedy Center board voted to close the complex for renovations and amid an ongoing legal battle over Trump’s attempts to put his name on the building.
A federal judge on Thursday ordered the centre to provide at least 30 days’ notice before making significant physical changes, including any move to demolish the building.Trump took control of the Kennedy Center in 2025 after installing his chosen members on its governing board. His name was later added to the building, but US District Judge Christopher Cooper ordered it removed, ruling that only Congress could rename the federally designated memorial.
The latest protests followed a photograph showing Trump aboard Air Force One looking at a placard that appeared to read “Kennedy Center DEMOLIS...”.The image drew attention after the president had suggested that the building could be torn down if his plans for its renovation and naming were not accepted.Trump has defended his plans by saying the Kennedy Center needs major repairs.Speaking from the Oval Office on Friday, he said his administration was working to “save” the institution but questioned why it should continue receiving support if it was losing money.
Reuters reported that Trump declined to directly answer whether he would demolish the building.The Kennedy Center, which opened in 1971 as a living memorial to former president John F Kennedy, has become one of the most closely watched cultural institutions in Washington amid the dispute over its future.Among those at Friday’s demonstration were Kennedy Center performers, Washington residents and families who said they wanted to protect the venue as a cultural institution.Protesters also turned up in costumes, with Baby Trump balloons seen floating above the crowd as demonstrators beat drums and chanted “Hands off!”The protest comes as the Kennedy Center remains at the centre of a wider legal dispute over its closure, proposed renovations and Trump’s efforts to attach his name to the building.
