WASHINGTON: A Kennedy Centre protest drew thousands of people Friday evening, with demonstrators linking hands around the performing arts venue after its board voted to close the building for renovations.
Hands Off the Arts organised the September 18 demonstration, called “Hands Around the Kennedy Centre.” Protesters filled streets near the Washington, D.C., landmark before some formed a human chain around it.
The protest followed the Kennedy Centre board’s September 15 vote to temporarily close the venue. The board cited financial problems and the need for structural repairs.
Meanwhile, supporters of the demonstration raised concerns about President Donald Trump’s comments that officials could eventually tear down the building.
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Trump said Friday that the venue had deteriorated and argued that his administration could restore it. A Kennedy Centre spokesperson had previously said the institution itself was not pursuing demolition.
Meanwhile, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ordered Kennedy Centre officials to provide at least 30 days’ notice before making major physical changes to the building, including demolition.
The legal dispute intensified after Cooper blocked the board from adding Trump’s name to the Kennedy Centre building or grounds without congressional authorisation. Congress established the venue as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy.
