Hours after a federal judge ordered the removal of President Donald Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center and blocked the arts center’s closure for major renovations, dozens of people gathered there Friday to celebrate.

The gathering was planned before the ruling, both to mark President John F. Kennedy’s 109th birthday and to protest Trump’s efforts to put his own stamp on the Kennedy memorial.

The gathering included an impromptu dramatic reading of the judge’s order.

“The Kennedy Center must be named for and is meant to honor President Kennedy alone,” the judge wrote.

Trump said in response that he’s backing away from his proposed renovation and returning control of the arts institution to Congress.

“Unless I am free to do what I do better than anyone else, bring this Institution back, physically, financially, and artistically, I have no interest in continuing what could only be a hopeless journey into ‘NEVER NEVER LAND,’” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

“I was so tickled,” protester Barb Archebald told WTOP. “My phone was beeping like crazy on the way in here.”

Beth Conord held a sign that read “Restore dignity to the Kennedy Center — fire Trump.”

“I’m absolutely encouraged,” Conord said. “Small steps, but hopefully we’ll get to the bigger steps.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.