The Daily BS • Bo Snerdley Cuts Through It!
The Daily BS • Bo Snerdley Cuts Through It!

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Trump’s Kennedy Center threat draws thousands — and they literally surround the building

by

BS BULLETIN:

  • Thousands of protesters descended on the shuttered Kennedy Center Friday night after President Donald Trump raised the possibility of tearing the building down.
  • Demonstrators linked arms to form a human chain around the performing arts center while chanting “Hands off!”
  • A federal judge has ordered Kennedy Center officials to provide 30 days’ notice before any major physical changes, including demolition.

President Donald Trump’s talk about potentially tearing down the Kennedy Center has now produced quite a scene outside it.

Thousands of demonstrators poured into Washington’s Foggy Bottom neighborhood Friday evening and surrounded the shuttered performing arts center in protest.

The gathering, called “Hands Around the Kennedy Center,” had initially been expected to draw roughly 1,000 people.

It got considerably bigger.

The Washington Post reported organizers estimated the final crowd at several times that number, while the Associated Press described thousands streaming toward the building and clogging nearby streets.

At one point, demonstrators linked arms and formed a human chain around as much of the Kennedy Center as they could reach.

“Hands off! Hands off!” the crowd chanted.

The gathering included musicians, artists, longtime Kennedy Center supporters and some considerably more colorful participants.

There were inflatable costumes.

There were drums.

There were Baby Trump balloons.

And there were signs including “You’re no Jack Kennedy,” “Donny you are no JFK!” and “Keep your tiny hands off our Kennedy Center.”

“Wonder Woman” actress Lynda Carter also addressed the crowd.

The demonstration capped an extraordinary week for one of Washington’s most recognizable landmarks.

The Kennedy Center’s Trump-aligned board voted Tuesday to close the main building for repairs.

Then Trump openly raised the possibility that the aging structure could ultimately be demolished.

“It will end up being ripped down,” Trump told a reporter Wednesday while discussing the continuing fight over placing his name on the building.

Hours later came an image that poured gasoline on the controversy.

Trump was photographed aboard Air Force One examining a presentation board with a partially visible heading that appeared to read “Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED.”

AFP confirmed the photograph was authentic.

Kennedy Center officials have said “nothing is being demolished,” while Trump has argued that the building is in terrible condition and could be rebuilt into something better.

The dispute has now reached federal court.

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ordered Kennedy Center officials Thursday to give 30 days’ written notice before undertaking any major physical changes to the building — specifically including demolition.

The order came amid litigation brought by Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty, a Kennedy Center trustee who has challenged actions by the Trump-controlled board.

And while thousands demonstrated outside Friday, another consequence of the closure was unfolding inside the organization.

The Washington Post reported that more than a dozen Kennedy Center employees were laid off Friday, including senior staff members.

Trump, meanwhile, continued defending his handling of the institution Friday.

He argued that his administration rescued the financially troubled center and secured $257 million from Congress for renovations.

He also continued to defend putting his own name on the building alongside Kennedy’s, saying it represented bipartisan symbolism.

Whatever ultimately happens to the building, Trump’s suggestion that it might come down clearly got Washington’s attention.

Organizers expected around 1,000 people Friday.

Instead, thousands arrived.

And then they joined hands around the building.

DBS WIRE SOURCES:

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