Thousands of demonstrators assembled in Washington, D.C., on Friday to safeguard the Kennedy Center, forming a human chain around the iconic arts venue amid fears that the Trump administration could raze the historic building.
The gathering, organized as a “Hands Around the Kennedy Center” event, took place in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood. Participants held hands encircling the facility while waving signs demanding that the venue be left alone. The protest occurred near the site where workers removed references to President Donald Trump from the building’s facade in June, following a court order.
Among the speakers was actress Lynda Carter, a prominent critic of the president, who addressed the crowd against the backdrop of proposed closures and renovations. Protesters expressed outrage that the institution, a living memorial to former President John F. Kennedy, might be destroyed.
“It makes me sick to my stomach,” said Neal Racioppo, a Washington resident who works in theatre marketing and communications, according to AFP. He argued that because the president failed to secure his name on the building, he is now depriving the world of its potential. Another protester stated that no individual has the right to decide the fate of a cultural institution.
Bud Wilkinson, a member of the local arts community, emphasized the building’s importance. “The Kennedy Center is vital to the arts in Washington. We need it,” he said. He added that the conflict extends beyond naming rights, describing it as an effort to censor artistic programming.
The Kennedy Center, which opened in 1971, has been at the center of controversy since 2025. Trump has advocated for extensive renovations, claiming the facility was left in a state of severe disrepair by previous management. His appointees to the Kennedy Center board previously voted to rename the institution the Trump-Kennedy Center, a move a judge halted in May by ordering the removal of his name.
On Wednesday, Trump suggested the center might be demolished if his administration does not receive adequate acknowledgment. “If we don’t do that, it’s going to close… It’ll end up being ripped down,” Trump told reporters, reiterating his view that the building is in dangerous condition.
Leave a Reply