Kennedy Center uproar: VP J.D. Vance met with boos and protests
JD Vance, Vice President of the USA, was met with boos from the audience as he took his seat on Thursday evening before the concert of the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Videos of the incident have already circulated online.
On Thursday evening, Vice President J.D. Vance, with his wife, attended the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. This national cultural venue regularly hosts performances by the National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington National Opera.
As soon as Vance appeared in the balcony, loud booing erupted from the hall below. Videos of this moment have already reached the internet and are widely discussed overseas.
According to "The Times," the chorus of boos lasted about 30 seconds. During this time, Vance waved to the audience, and the couple stayed for the entire concert despite the reception.
"Imagine getting booed at a place with magnificent acoustics," commented a journalist.
A symbolic place and time
The Daily Beast notes that Usha Vance was recently appointed by Donald Trump as a board member of the Kennedy Center as part of a presidential initiative to remove members appointed by Democrats.
Some artists disagreed with this decision and withdrew from planned performances there as a sign of protest. Among them are actress Whoopi Goldberg and Hamilton producer Jeffrey Seller.
Furthermore, after Trump dismissed several board members appointed by former President Joe Biden, ticket sales for the Kennedy Center fell by half.
"The Guardian" points out that such a loud political protest was unprecedented in the usually polite and reserved world of classical music.
Backstage protest
During the concert intermission, artists associated with the center appeared in the lobby carrying banners. These signs read: "REINSTATE QUEER PROGRAMMING" and "CREATIVITY AT THE KENNEDY CENTER MUST NOT BE SUPPRESSED."
Spectators nervously joked about the fact that the programme was entirely Russian (Shostakovich's 2nd Violin Concerto, followed by Stravinsky's Petrushka), considering Vance's harsh rebuke towards Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office.
The media reminds us that J.D. Vance has so far spoken critically about culture and the arts, with him and his affiliates sparking real conflict in cultural institutions, particularly at the Kennedy Center.
Vance has gained a reputation as a cultural conservative, saying, among other things, that contemporary culture stifles the spirit of young men.
In an interview with "The New York Times" in 2016, Vance stated that he was unaware that people listen to classical music for pleasure.
