Thousands Rally Against Elitist Closure of Kennedy Center and Erasure of Trump's Name
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Over 6,000 demonstrators formed a human chain outside the Kennedy Center on Sept. 18, protesting the undemocratic board decision to shutter the people's arts venue for two years and celebrating the removal of Trump's name from the building.
On September 18, approximately 6,400 people gathered at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., just days after a board—stacked with Trump appointees—voted to close this vital public arts space for two years. The protest, organized by the Hands Off the Arts coalition, saw activists forming a human chain around the eastern and southern sides of the building, though barriers erected by authorities prevented a complete circle, symbolizing the ongoing suppression of public voices.
The demonstration was a powerful stand to protect the Kennedy Center, a memorial to John F. Kennedy and a beacon of accessible culture. Protesters sang the National Anthem and “America the Beautiful,” reclaiming these songs as calls for justice, while chanting about the tarp now covering the center’s name after a judge finally ordered the removal of Trump’s name—a victory against the forced glorification of a reactionary administration.
Speakers included actress Lynda Carter, progressive Representatives Don Beyer and Jonathan Jackson, and D.C. Councilmember Robert White. Jackson declared, “The Kennedy Center will forever be the people’s house,” echoing the crowd’s demand for public ownership of cultural institutions.
Meanwhile, President Trump, who had pushed to have his name imposed on the building, dismissed the center as a “dump” and claimed he would fund repairs only if he received personal recognition—an example of the transactional, self-serving politics that has plagued American arts funding.
Protesters voiced broader concerns about government and corporate control over culture, vowing to resist any attempts to privatize or restrict access to the arts. Many pledged to continue demonstrating, determined to keep the Kennedy Center in the hands of the people.