Thousands protest Kennedy Center demolition fears

Thousands of people have demonstrated at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. amid fears President Donald Trump's administration could demolish the arts hub.

Crowds of people gathered in the Foggy Bottom area of the US capital city, many carrying signs as they joined in "Hands Around the Kennedy Center."

Some of those gathered held hands and formed a human chain around the center.

Protesters waved placards reading "hands off Kennedy Center" and sang songs close to where workers removed Trump's name from the building in June following a court order.

Protesters, residents condemn move to demolish Kennedy Center 

"It makes me sick to my stomach," the AFP news agency quoted Neal Racioppo, a Washington resident who runs marketing and communications for a theatre, as saying.

Trump "can't get his name on this cherished building, so he is depriving the world of what it could be."

"He does not have a right to decide that an institution, a living memorial to a past president, can be demolished," another protester told AFP.

"The Kennedy Center is vital to the arts in Washington. We need it. We need this,” said local arts community member Bud Wilkinson.

"This is not just about putting the president's name on the Kennedy Center. It's about censoring the performances and the programming," Wilkinson said.

Trump and the Kennedy Center

The Kennedy Center — inaugurated in 1971 following the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy — has been a focal point of Trump's plans for Washington since 2025.

Trump has been pushing for major renovations and claims the building was left in a severe state of disrepair by those previously in control.

Trump's handpicked Kennedy Center board voted last year to rename the institution the Trump-Kennedy Center.

In May, a judge ruled that his name was illegally added and ordered it removed.

What has Trump said about the Kennedy Center?

On Wednesday, Trump appeared to imply that the Kennedy Center could be torn down if his administration did not receive "recognition."

"For the Trump administration, for me to get involved and to take that on long term and to carry it or to raise money to carry it, I think that the Trump administration should certainly have recognition, because frankly, if we don't do that, it's going to close," Trump said.

"It'll end up being ripped down. It's in very, very bad shape, very dangerous shape," Trump told reporters.

Edited by: Karl Sexton

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