On Friday evening thousands of protesters gathered outside the Kennedy Center in view of the marble facade that remained concealed by scaffolding and tarpaulins, to protest Donald Trump’s plans for the facility and express alarm that he might make good on his threat to tear down the institution.

Crowding streets in the Foggy Bottom area of Washington and locking down traffic as they walked, many carried signs, as they joined in the “Hands Around the Kennedy Center” protest. Some wore costumes and booed when the president was mentioned during the program.

Chris Raleigh, co-founder of Hands Off the Arts, which set up the gathering, said in an interview that he hoped the event would show that people are willing to fight to halt Trump’s plans for the building.

One of the most iconic buildings on the Potomac River waterfront, the Kennedy Center has been a focus of Trump’s remake of Washington since 2025, when he began installing favorites on to its governing board. Late last year, he had his name placed on the center. A judge ruled that Trump’s name was illegally added and ordered it removed.

The Kennedy Center board, which is aligned with the president, voted Tuesday to close the center indefinitely for repairs hours after US District Judge Christopher Cooper blocked their plans to return Trump’s name to the building. On Thursday, the judge ordered the Kennedy Center to provide 30 days’ notice before making any major physical changes to the building, including demolishing it.

The protests on Friday came after a photo of Trump examining a depiction of the Kennedy Center apparently being demolished sparked widespread attention. In the image captured by AFP photographer Brendan Smialowski on Wednesday, the president was seen through the windows of Air Force One holding a placard with visible text in red declaring: “Kennedy Center DEMOLIS...”

The rest of the word was obscured by the plane’s window frame.

Raleigh said he, like others, is concerned Trump could tear down the building without notifying the court. “Look at the East Wing,” he said. “We got up one morning and there was a giant hole there.”

Among the demonstrators were people in inflatable animal costumes and a man in a golden Trump mask with a crown and a sign that said: “Restore my name in gold you sycophants.” Another man wore a blue hat that said: “Make America intelligent again.”

Baby Trump balloons danced in the air against the setting sun. Protesters beat drums, chanted “hands off!” and waved signs including: “Keep your tiny hands off our Kennedy Center”; “You’re no Jack Kennedy”; “Donny you are no JFK!”; “Kennedy Center 4 ever”; “Our center not DJT’s”; “Hands off the arts”; and “Wicked starring DJT”.

Friday’s event followed a tumultuous week in federal courts in Washington in which filings and counter-filings flooded the courts as the administration continued its push for the president’s vanity projects. The administration has made substantive steps to begin work on a number of projects, despite the fact they are still being litigated. Such projects include Trump’s triumphal arch and the administration’s takeover of East Potomac Golf Links and the US Institute of Peace.

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said he was willing to save the center, which he said was losing money. He did not address a question about demolishing it.

“We have a lot of people working very hard on it to save it,” he said. “I can save it easily, but why should we be doing that and then raise money for the rest of our lives to keep it afloat? Because that’s what you have to do, if we get no recognition. I think the Trump administration should be recognized as having saved the Kennedy Center.”

With the Associated Press and Agence France Presse