WASHINGTON, DC -- A crowd of about 200 supporters of the arts turned up for a rally outside the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, on Friday, May 29, 2026, to oppose the renaming of the Center by the present administration and the plans to close it for renovation. Organized by the group Hands Off the Arts, participants in the rally included Kennedy Center workers, visitors, artists and supporters of the arts.
Speakers at the rally referred to the fact that a federal judge, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, had ruled earlier that same day that the recent name change on the Kennedy Center violates a 1964 act of Congress that mandates the institution to be named exclusively for President John F. Kennedy. Judge Cooper ordered all of Donald Trump's names to be removed from the building's facade and website within two weeks. He noted Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name and only Congress can change it. The court ruling also halted the Kennedy Center board's vote to shutter the arts center for a two-year, multimillion-dollar renovation. Judge Cooper deemed the plan "ill-informed and seemingly preordained."*
Calling this a "win" for judges and supportive legislators, speakers at the rally noted that, while that win should be celebrated, nevertheless, the campaign to support the Center must continue because the future under this administration is unknown.
During the May 29, 2026, rally organized by the group Hands Off the Arts, a speaker with a theater background speaks in support of the Kennedy Center and urges the audience to continue the campaign to keep it open and legally named as a memorial for John F. Kennedy, a supporter of the arts. (Video by Keweenaw Now)
A teacher who has spent 54 years as a volunteer for the Kennedy Center spoke about her positive experiences as a volunteer and supporter of the Center.
During the rally, a visitor from Virginia spoke to Keweenaw Now on her own support of the Kennedy Center and the need to keep supporting it.
During the May 29, 2026, rally at the Kennedy Center organized by Hands Off the Arts, Debbie from Virginia speaks with Keweenaw Now on her concerns for the Kennedy Center. (Video by Keweenaw Now)Following the May 29 rally, Chris Raleigh, one of the founders of the group Hands Off the Arts and an organizer of the rally, spoke with Keweenaw Now on the purpose and success of the event.
Chris Raleigh of Washington, DC, tells Keweenaw Now how the volunteer group, Hands Off the Arts, began in support of the Kennedy Center. (Video by Keweenaw Now)Following the speakers and songs, participants at the rally were invited to join a silent candlelight procession, walking around the building to draw attention to their concerns.
*Editor's Note: See: "Judge says Kennedy Center board violated law putting Trump's name on building, blocks closure." PBS.org. May 29, 2026.
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