Hundreds of protesters formed a human chain around the Kennedy Center on Friday evening in a show of opposition to President Donald Trump’s efforts to reshape the storied arts institution.
The demonstration was held in response to Trump’s threats to demolish the building and his push to put his name on it.
The “Hands Around the Kennedy Center” event, organized by the advocacy group Hands Off the Arts, included musical performances and speeches from current and former Kennedy Center employees. Organizers said the gathering was intended to defend the center’s artists and workers, and its status as a memorial to the late President John F. Kennedy.
The protest capped a tumultuous week for the landmark cultural institution. The Kennedy Center’s Trump-aligned board voted Tuesday to close its main building for renovations that could last up to two years, citing the building’s condition and financial problems. The vote came after a federal judge again blocked efforts to add Trump’s name to the center’s facade, ruling that such a change required congressional approval.
Trump has continued to push efforts to put his name on the building, arguing that his administration secured $257 million from Congress for repairs and that he deserves recognition.
“The place is a dump. It’s been a dump for years. It’s lost money for years. I can turn it around, fix it,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday. “But if I do the job, I think the Trump administration … should be recognized.”
The dispute escalated this week when Trump said the center could ultimately be “ripped down.” Photographs also showed him aboard Air Force One examining a document that appeared to refer to the Kennedy Center being demolished, though the images did not establish that a demolition had been approved.
A federal judge on Thursday ordered the administration to provide at least 30 days’ notice before undertaking any demolition or other major structural changes at the center.
Kennedy Center officials have said no demolition is underway.
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