Hundreds gather at Kennedy Center to protest Trump’s attacks

Around 1,500 people protested at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, on Friday, 18 September, forming a human chain around the building in an event called “Hands Around the Kennedy Center.” The rally was hosted by drag performer Tara Hoot and organized by Hands Off the Arts, founded last year by co-founders Mallory Miller and Chris Raleigh—former Kennedy Center staff and allies—who oppose layoffs of hundreds of workers and President Donald Trump’s efforts to put his name on the center and to close it for either a $257m renovation or total demolition. Protesters sang patriotic songs and heard performances by groups including the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, the Rapid Response Choir, and the DC Activist Street Band; actor Lynda Carter also attended and spoke. Organizers said attendees came from 42 states and seven countries, and speakers included Democratic Representative Don Beyer (Virginia) and DC Council at-large member Robert C. White Jr, who linked the protest to political organizing ahead of the US midterm elections on 3 November.

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