“A towering arch casting shadows across the graves of our father, mother, and uncles, as well as the graves of so many who have served our country, would also cast a shadow over our democratic principles, undermining the safeguards established by our elected representatives to protect this hallowed ground for generations to come,” said Rory Kennedy and Maxwell Kennedy on behalf of nine family members who sued the Trump administration.
Nine members of the Kennedy family joined a federal lawsuit on Tuesday to block President Donald Trump from constructing a 250-foot triumphal arch at Memorial Circle in Washington, D.C.
The Kennedy Center is a living memorial to a fallen president and named for President Kennedy by federal law. It can no sooner be renamed than can someone rename the Lincoln Memorial, no matter what anyone says. https://t.co/VpZhNvx7So
The newly filed complaint asks a federal judge to set aside the government’s authorization and halt the project across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial. “obstruct the clear sightline of the Kennedy Gravesites” the plaintiffs contend the towering monument would fundamentally alter the memorial grounds at Arlington National Cemetery.
President John F. Kennedy and Senator Edward Kennedy are buried at the cemetery. Robert and Ethel Kennedy are also buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
'These are the actions of a petty tyrant who can't get his way' JFK's niece Kerry Kennedy responds to President Trump's mission to put his name on the Kennedy Center and a photo that appears to show the President looking at a poster that says 'Kennedy Center Demolished.' pic.twitter.com/gcte7Qf0oY
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit include children and grandchildren of Robert F. Kennedy and Ted Kennedy.
The legal filing states that the monument would permanently cast shadows over and damage sight lines to existing gravesites. The complaint states that the structure would also disrupt the intended relationship between the Kennedy Gravesites and the Eternal Flame. The family members said that the National Park Service and the U.S. interior department authorized construction of the arch without the required congressional approval.
The legal challenge arrived days after the National Capital Planning Commission voted 8-4 to approve final site and building plans for the monument. Chairman Mark Paoletta praised the project during the hearing, saying that a 1925 law designated a memorial there. The commission panel included Trump appointees, agency heads, and members of Congress.
Within an hour of the commission’s vote, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan issued an order prohibiting any construction-related activity for 14 days, following a request from D.C. and Virginia governments.
Michael Lemmon, the lead plaintiff opposing the project, told the planning commission that the construction is flatly unlawful without explicit congressional authorization. Lemmon described the 250-foot structure as frankly blasphemous. Protesters gathered at the site holding signs reading “stop the Arc de Trump” and displaying mock versions of the arch marked with a red X.
The administration maintains that Congress cleared the way for a monument at Memorial Circle decades ago. White House officials defended the monument project, saying the administration was “confident” it would see the eventual completion of the project.
President Trump has described the project as a “top grade Military Complex/Triumphal Arch” with drones and snipers. However, the Park Service denies knowledge of such capabilities and such enhancements appear nowhere in the submitted plans.
Earlier coverage: Trump's Triumphal Arch Faces Federal Vote and Legal Challenges
Kennedy family joins fight to stop Donald Trump’s ‘triumphal arch’ in DChttps://t.co/DvlaGg6Fqt
More on Donald Trump
BREAKING: The Kennedy family has filed for an injunction against President Trump's arch, saying it would destroy the solemn memorial to the Kennedy family at Arlington National Cemetery, disrupting sightlines and casting a shadow over JFK + RFK graves. https://t.co/lLJMoXsrEN pic.twitter.com/nvD2XvprJI
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