A federal judge ruled May 29 that the center had until June 12 to take Trump’s name off the nameplate and paused scheduled renovations that would’ve closed the center for two years. Mentions of his name have already been removed from the Kennedy Center website.The group, called Hands Off the Arts, said it started the livestream to ensure Trump is held accountable to the ruling, and collectively describes itself as “a coalition of allies across communities fighting to keep art free from gov’t control.” The group also organizes weekly protests against the center’s closing and renaming.
“Hands Off the Arts stands firmly against Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center and any attempt to rename it,” a press release published ahead of last week’s protest said. “The executive branch has no role in censoring or curating art at the nation’s premier performing arts institution, nor does any president have the right to treat a presidential memorial like a personal brand.”
The Kennedy Center removed Trump’s name from its website on Monday. This follows the orders of an Obama-appointed judge who sided with the plaintiff, Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH). The ruling said Congress must rename the building because the center was “named by statute” following the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
