The Kennedy Center’s outdoor ice rink was the target of what officials described as a “calculated, malicious attack.”
The alleged incident took place early Friday morning (February 20th) when a “toxic chemical” was found poured across the Kennedy Center’s outdoor ice rink (via Fox News). The black-brown chemical, which has not yet been identified, damaged parts of the ice and the rink’s structure. Officials from the Kennedy Center said the resulting damage forced them to cancel Friday’s performance by the Montreal-based skating company Le Patin Libre.
Roma Daravi, the vice president of public relations for the Kennedy Center, said that staff were “working feverishly to complete repairs so programming could resume Saturday” Daravi added that staff have “turned over video footage to the authorities… [to] hold those responsible accountable.” Kennedy Center officials went so far as to clarify that this wasn’t a mere protest but an “act of outright vandalism.”
Related Video
Meanwhile, in a social media post Kennedy Center interim president Richard Grenell blamed the incident on “Democrats,” writing: “This is so sad & unnecessary – @TheDemocrats have been calling artists urging them to cancel and attacking the Center non-stop. It’s a calculated campaign. And now they have mentally unstable people taking action – and vandalizing the Center. We’ve seen serious death threats and constant harassment. Commonsense Democrats must speak up before this violence takes a life.”
This is seemingly just the latest flashpoint involving the Kennedy Center since Donald Trump took over the Washington, D.C. venue and began reshaping it in his image, including installing a board that later renamed the center in his honor. Earlier this month, amid reports of sluggish ticket sales and a growing artist boycott Trump announced a two-year closure of the Kennedy Center, citing necessary renovations.
