WASHINGTON — Thousands of people joined outside the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Friday evening to protest President Donald Trump’s plans for the facility, lending their voices to a chorus of organizations and individuals who have been horrified that he might make good on his threat to close and tear down the storied institution.
So that’s what the nitty-gritty really is about this. Because of this craziness, “All of those things have gone away. “We got up one morning and there was a giant hole there. He added he doesn’t believe the president fully understands why people are so upset “but that’s our job right? This may be the line that no one expected but this is where the line is going to be. “The Kennedy Center is vital to the arts in Washington. We need it. “This is not just about putting the president’s name on the Kennedy Center. It’s about censoring the performances and the programming. That’s what started all this. So I want to replace all of this with love. That’s why there’s a heart. They also performed on the center’s Millennium Stage.
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 keep Trump’s plans for the building at bay. Raleigh said he, like others, is concerned that Trump could take the step without notifying the court. “Look at the East Wing,” he said. Raleigh said the Kennedy Center is more in the public eye than the East Wing was. We need this,” Wilkinson said. Her daughter had numerous opportunities to take advantage of all the center had to offer as a student at Duke Ellington, she said. “I mean, they borrowed the beautiful costumes and the beautiful dresses from the Washington National Opera for their performances at Duke Ellington,” she said. And it just hurts my heart,” Baciu said.
“This was my visceral response to this. I’ll stand in front of the wrecking ball if it’s going to come to that. Nobody thought he would actually do it. So I think the shock has mobilized people. He did not address a question about demolishing it.
Laura Steinberg, a volunteer for the last 10 years, said the loss of performances has already been heart- wrenching. Because we saw what he did to the East Wing, my guess is many of these people would come down.
“This reminds me of that picture from Tiananmen Square, where that young man stood in front of the tank,” she said of the throngs present. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said he was willing to save the center, which he said was losing money.
