Construction scaffolding covered in front of the Kennedy Center
A US federal judge on Thursday ordered the Kennedy Center to give 30 days’ notice before making any major physical changes to the building, including demolition, after President Donald Trump warned that the deteriorating performing arts complex could be “ripped down”. US District Judge Christopher Cooper said the clarification was necessary “given more recent events”, including the center’s sudden closure to the public on Wednesday, reported AP.
Cooper rejected a request for an emergency hearing but clarified that his order bars demolition or other major physical changes without 30 days’ notice.
Her lawyers argued that describing it as temporary was “a plain pretext to justify shutting down the Center permanently”. Cooper blocked those plans on Tuesday, saying they could not proceed “without Congress’s blessing”. The latest court action followed a case filed by Representative Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat and Kennedy Center trustee, who challenged the sudden closure. The Trump-aligned board later voted again to put his name on the facade, along with proposals to rename the plaza and add further inscriptions.
The judge had previously ruled that the center’s decision to add Trump’s name was unlawful and ordered it removed.