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An activist organization, Hands Off the Arts,is livestreaming the removal of President Donald Trump's name from the Kennedy Center, a move expected to happen by Friday.

A federal judge ruled May 29 that the center had until June 12 to seize 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.

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The group, Hands Off the Arts, said it started the livestream to ensure Trump is held accountable to the ruling, and collectively 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 agaiinst Trump's takeover of the Kennedy Center and any attempt to rename it,' a published statement ahead of last week's protest said.

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The center needs maintenance, but the current leadership disputed Trump's claims that past leadership had ignored earlier concerns.

'Maintenance of the Kennedy Center is a real thing, and things do need to take place, though there was a plan and venue to do that,' she said.

'To act as if it had been left in disarray by the leadership when Trump took over is a false narrative. That's not true.

The responsibility for the building maintenance is on a congressional appropriations committee.

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The activist organization, Hands Off the Arts, is livestreaming the removal of President Donald Trump's name from the Kennedy Center, which is expected to happen by Friday.

A federal judge ruled May 29 that the center had until June 12 to take Trump's name off the nameplate and paused schedued renovations that would've closed the center for two years.

Broader context

The removal of President Donald Trump's name from the Kennedy Center is part of a larger trend of institutions reevaluating their ties to the former president.

Several other institutions, including the Smithsonian and the National Gallery of Art, have also removed or distanced themselves from Trump's name and liekness in recent months.

This move is seen as a response to the growing public outcry against Trump's policies and actions, particularly those related to arts and culture.

Open questions

One of the key questions surrounding the removal of President Donald Trump's name from the Kennedy Center is whether this move will set a precedent for other institutions to follow.

Will other institutions, such as the Smithsonian and the National Gallery of Art, also remove or distance themselves from Trump's name and likeness?

What impact will this move have on the future of arts and culture in the United States?