Thousands Demonstrate Outside Kennedy Center Over Threat of Demolition
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Protesters gathered in Washington to oppose President Trump's alleged plans to demolish the Kennedy Center, following a court order limiting changes to the venue.
Thousands of demonstrators assembled outside the Kennedy Center on Friday, chanting and holding signs to oppose President Donald Trump's alleged intention to demolish the performing-arts venue. The crowd, part of a "Hands Around the Kennedy Center" rally organized by the group Hands Off the Arts, blocked traffic in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood and expressed concern that the president might proceed without court notification.
The Kennedy Center board, which aligns with the administration, voted to close the facility indefinitely for repairs after a federal judge ordered the removal of Trump's name from the building and required a 30-day notice before any major structural changes. The protest followed a widely circulated photograph showing Trump on Air Force One holding a placard that read "Kennedy Center DEMOLIS…".
"Look at the East Wing. We got up one morning and there was a giant hole there," said Chris Raleigh, co-founder of Hands Off the Arts, describing fears of unapproved alterations.
The demonstration featured participants in costumes, inflatable balloons and various slogans such as "Hands off the arts" and "Make America intelligent again." President Trump, speaking from the Oval Office, said the center was losing money and that his administration could save it, but he declined to comment on demolition plans.
The event occurred amid a broader series of legal disputes in Washington over several administration-backed projects, including a proposed triumphal arch and the takeover of other federal facilities.