Thousands Protest Outside Kennedy Center In Support Of Hands Off The Arts

Thousands of demonstrators gathered outside The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Friday evening to protest President Donald Trump’s proposed changes to the facility and his suggestion that the landmark could be closed and demolished.

Participants in the “Hands Around the Kennedy Center” demonstration streamed into Washington’s Foggy Bottom neighborhood carrying signs and filling surrounding streets. At one point, protesters joined hands to form a human chain around the performing arts center, reported PBS.

Hands Off The Arts stated on their event page that “The Center, a formerly dynamic and lively arts hub, sits nearly dormant. The impact is felt beyond the empty stages – as a top provider of arts education across the country, the impact of the Board’s mismanagement will be felt in communities nationwide. In our local communities, the livelihoods of local artists and staff members remain under threat. This is not the Kennedy Center you know and love. It’s not the Kennedy Center you deserve.”

The latest developments began Tuesday, when U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper barred the Kennedy Center’s Trump-appointed board from restoring President Donald Trump’s name to the building or renaming its grounds in his honor. Cooper ruled that such changes require congressional authorization.

Approximately one hour after the decision was issued, the board voted to close the main building immediately for renovations, citing safety concerns after a section of plaster fell from the grand foyer ceiling during a rainstorm earlier this month. Congress appropriated $257 million for the renovation last year. However, Trump has said the repairs will not begin—and the building will not reopen—unless an appeals court or the Supreme Court permits his name to be restored.

Fencing was installed around the main building on Wednesday, blocking its entrance and cutting off vehicle and pedestrian access, according to the Associated Press. The fencing joined the tarp and scaffolding that have covered the facade since Trump’s name was removed in June under an earlier court order.

On Thursday, a federal judge ordered the Kennedy Center to provide 30 days’ notice before making any major physical changes to the building, including demolishing it. The order marked the latest development in the ongoing legal battle surrounding the facility’s name and future.

Friday’s protests followed the circulation of a photograph that appeared to show Trump reviewing plans depicting the demolition of the Kennedy Center, reported The Guardian. The image, taken Wednesday by AFP photographer Brendan Smialowski, captured the president through the windows of Air Force One holding a placard with partially visible red lettering that read, “Kennedy Center DEMOLIS…”