They are lending their voices to a chorus of organisations and individuals who have been horrified he might make good on his threat to close and tear down the storied institution.
The crowd streamed in on Friday from the nearest subway stop, crowding streets in the Foggy Bottom area of Washington and locking down traffic as they walked, many carrying signs, as they joined in "Hands Around the Kennedy Center".
Many carried signs, wore costumes and booed when the president was mentioned during the program.
One of the most iconic buildings on the Potomac River waterfront, the Kennedy Center has been a focus of Trump's remake of Washington since 2025, when he began installing favourites onto its governing board. Late in 2025, he had his named placed on the centre. A judge ruled Trump's name was illegally added and ordered it removed.
The Kennedy Center board, which is aligned with the president, voted on Tuesday to close the centre indefinitely for repairs hours after US District Judge Christopher Cooper blocked their plans to return Trump's name to the building.
On Thursday, the judge ordered the Kennedy Center to provide 30 days' notice before making any major physical changes to the building, including demolishing it.
Protesters talked about the importance of the centre as the pinnacle of the nation's performing arts world.
Bud Wilkinson, a local member of the arts community, set up a chalkboard with Trump's name written on it hundreds of times. Protesters flocked to him to erase the names and replace them with hearts.
"The Kennedy Center is vital to the arts in Washington. We need it. We need this," Wilkinson said.
"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 that's what the nitty-gritty really is about this. So I want to replace all of this with love. That's why there's a heart."
Friday's event followed a tumultuous week in federal courts in Washington where filings and counter-filings flooded the courts as the administration continues pushing for the president's vanity projects.
The administration has made substantive steps to begin work on a number of projects, despite the fact they are still being litigated. Such projects include Trump's triumphal arch and the administration's takeover of East Potomac Golf Links and the US Institute of Peace.
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said he was willing to save the centre, which he said was losing money. He did not address a question about demolishing it.
"We have a lot of people working very hard on it to save it," he said.
"I can save it easily, but why should we be doing that and then raise money for the rest of our lives to keep it afloat? Because that's what you have to do, if we get no recognition. I think the Trump administration should be recognised as having saved the Kennedy Center."
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