Demonstrators in US form human chain to protest Kennedy Center closure vote
'Hands Around the Kennedy Center' rally drew thousands after Trump-backed board votes to close the iconic arts venue.
Thousands of protesters formed a human chain around the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC to contest its closure, amid fears that United States President Donald Trump could make good on his threat to demolish the venerated landmark.
The crowd filled streets in the Foggy Bottom neighbourhood of the capital on Friday evening, bringing traffic to a standstill as demonstrators made their way to the “Hands Around the Kennedy Center” protest. Many carried signs and some wore costumes, while boos rang out when Trump was mentioned during the programme.
At one point, some protesters linked hands around the building, whose marble facade remained partly concealed by scaffolding and tarpaulins.
Last December, the new board added Trump’s name to the building’s facade after the Kennedy Center said its Board of Trustees had unanimously voted to rename the institution in his honour.