Thousands of people attended the “Rally Around the Kennedy Center” after the board of directors, backed by President Trump, voted to close the iconic arts venue.
Published September 19, 2026
Thousands of protesters formed a human chain around the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., to protest its closure amid fears that US President Donald Trump will follow through on his threat to destroy the revered landmark.
Crowds filled the streets of the capital’s Foggy Bottom neighborhood on Friday night, and traffic was halted as demonstrators made their way to the “Hands on the Kennedy Center” protest. Many held placards and some wore costumes as Trump’s name was mentioned during the show, which led to boos.
At one point, some protesters joined hands around the building, whose marble façade remained partially hidden by scaffolding and tarps.
The Kennedy Center, one of the most iconic buildings on Washington’s Potomac waterfront, has been a battleground for Trump as he seeks to assert control over the institution since he returned to office last year, replacing the board with his own appointees and taking over as chairman.
Chris Lowery, co-founder of Hands Off the Arts, which organized the rally, said in an interview with The Associated Press that he hoped it would show people were ready to oppose Trump’s construction plans.
The demonstration came days after a board set up by President Trump voted to close the center for repairs expected to take up to two years. This came hours after District Judge Christopher Cooper quashed the commission’s latest attempt to restore Trump’s name to the building.
The new board added Trump’s name to the building’s façade after the Kennedy Center announced in December that its board had unanimously voted to rename the institution in Trump’s honor.
A federal judge blocked those efforts in May, ruling that the board overstepped its statutory authority by unilaterally renaming the Kennedy Center without Congressional approval and adding Trump’s name to its exterior. Congress had designated the center as a memorial to the late 35th U.S. president, John F. Kennedy.
In August, the commission tried again to inscribe Trump’s name on the building, this time with the words “John F. Kennedy Performing Arts Center Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump.”
A federal judge rejected the move in September, ruling that it violated a May injunction.
Since then, President Trump has not ruled out demolishing the building, but on Thursday a federal judge ordered the Kennedy Center to give it 30 days’ notice before making any major structural changes, including demolition.
President Trump told reporters in North Carolina on Wednesday that his administration deserves credit for saving the Kennedy Center, arguing that without repairs, the building could fall into disrepair and eventually be forced to close.
Rowley, like others, said he was concerned that Trump might proceed without notifying the court in advance.
“Look at the east wing,” he said. “I woke up one morning and there was a huge hole.”
