1,500 link hands around Kennedy Center in closure protest
Around 1,500 people linked hands around the shuttered John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC on the evening of 18 September 2026. They circled the building after speeches and live performances, in a protest over its takeover and planned closure. The Art Newspaper
The gathering was billed as the "Hands Around the Kennedy Center" rally. Al Jazeera It was organised by Hands Off the Arts, a campaign group opposing changes at the centre. Once the stage programme finished, protesters spread out around the building to form the human chain.
Drag performer Tara Hoot hosted the rally. Speakers included the group's co-founders, Mallory Miller and Chris Raleigh, alongside U.S. Representative Don Beyer of Virginia and District of Columbia Council member Robert C. White Jr. Actor Lynda Carter attended, and the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, a long-running community choir, performed.
Organisers said the crowd drew from far beyond the capital. More than 1,000 of those present represented 42 states and seven countries, according to the host.
The protest was directed at President Donald Trump, who is chairman of the Kennedy Center. Demonstrators called for him to be removed from the role, ABC News and said the 18 September action was held against his takeover and the closure of the building. The Washington Post
Some outside the building said they feared Trump might tear it down. PBS Others vowed to defend the centre "not without a fight," as captured in footage from the night. Reuters The rally followed a Trump-backed board vote to close the Kennedy Center.
What made the night different from a standard march was the running order. It played more like a variety show before the chain formed, with a drag host, politicians and a chorus sharing the same small stage. Then the lights of the closed hall sat behind a ring of people holding hands.
