Big-name artists, musicians, journalists gather in support of free speech at Kennedy Center

Actress Jane Fonda spoke about free speech to a crowd of artists, journalists and musicians gathered outside the Kennedy Center on Friday, amid controversy over the president’s involvement with the performing arts venue. Many attendees are recognizable faces, including actor Billy Porter, songwriter Maggie Rogers, folk singer Joan Baez and former White House Correspondent Jim Acosta. “If we don’t fight back, the news we get will be increasingly fake,” actress Jane Fonda told the crowd Friday afternoon. “We won’t be allowed to know what’s really happening. Our children’s academic curricula will be actually censored. Ticket costs for cultural events will go up, while the quality will go down.” Rogers said the venue had a big impact on her as a child. “I grew up on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, just a little bit south of D.C., and I used to come to the Kennedy Center when I was a kid to see music that opened my world to what it meant to create and to feel.” From the steps of the Kennedy Center, Fonda spoke out against President Donald Trump’s decision to close the institution for two years of renovations and cited the mass firings of its employees. “The center has been effectively silenced after artists refused to bow to ideological demands and the racist erasure of history,” Fonda said. “As a cover, Trump is shutting it down for at least two years, supposedly to make repairs, and he even suggested it may be necessary to take it down to the studs.”

Speakers argued the government has tried to influence the arts and news media by putting pressure on artists and journalists. “I considered turning in my Kennedy Center Honor, but realized that would be admitting defeat,” Baez said. In recent weeks, Trump and his aides have raised questions about the way journalists have covered the war in Iran. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr warned that broadcasters were putting their licenses at risk by reporting “fake news.” The Committee for the First Amendment, which organized Friday’s event, said the purpose is to defend free expression and pushback against political intimidation and censorship. It comes ahead of “No Kings” demonstrations planned for Saturday in the D.C. region. There are traffic closures planned Friday and Saturday for the demonstrations, as well as the National Cherry Blossom Festival. D.C. police closed a few roads to vehicle traffic for Friday’s protest. These streets are closed off to driving or parking until 5 p.m.:

• Jamal Kashoggi Way from F Street to Virginia Avenue, NW
• F Street from Rock Creek Parkway to Kashoggi Way, NW

Drivers who need to get to the parking garages at the Kennedy Center or Watergate complex will be able to get through, police said. You can watch a recording of the event below:

To view this content referenced from YouTube, click here.

Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.