The Kennedy Centre building has been covered as workers remove US President Donald Trump’s name from the performing arts venue.
The move follows a court ruling that found the venue’s board, selected by the president, did not have the authority to rename the national cultural centre.
According to Sky News, all references to Donald Trump have now been removed from the building’s interior, exterior and online platforms in order to comply with the court order.
The John F. Kennedy Memorial Centre for the Performing Arts, widely known as the Kennedy Centre, is the national cultural centre of the United States.
In December last year, the Kennedy Centre board “voted unanimously” to rename the institution the Trump-Kennedy Centre.
However, US District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that the president’s name had to be removed by 12 June.
“Congress gave the Kennedy Centre its name, and only Congress can change it,” Cooper wrote on 29 May.
Judge Cooper also temporarily blocked Trump’s demand that the Kennedy Centre close for two years of renovations, describing the plan as an “ill-informed and seemingly preordained decision.”
“Only Congress can change it”
The venue attempted to block the ruling, arguing that removing Trump’s name could force it to return millions of dollars raised for renovations.
According to the filing, the “reason for this clause is that people and companies, who have given, or will be giving, millions of dollars to the Centre were only willing to do so with the name Trump on the Building.”
However, the judge denied the request just hours before the deadline to remove Trump’s name.
On Saturday, 13 June, construction workers began removing the president’s name from the Kennedy Centre’s facade.
Over the weekend, the metal letters spelling Trump’s name were covered, preventing visitors from seeing it.
The attempted renaming sparked protests in December, including from President John F. Kennedy’s grandnephew, former congressman Joe Kennedy III.
He said the centre “is a living memorial to a fallen president and named for President Kennedy by federal law”.
“It can no sooner be renamed than can someone rename the Lincoln Memorial, no matter what anyone says,” Kennedy added.
Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty also criticised the decision at the time, saying she had been muted during the voting call and was unable to vote against the renaming.
“I was not allowed to vote because I was muted,” Beatty told ABC News.
“I would not have supported this.”
The ruling marks a major setback for Trump’s attempted rebranding of one of America’s most recognisable cultural institutions.
