Nine members of the Kennedy family have sued to stop US President Donald Trump’s plans to build an enormous triumphal arch near the iconic Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington, arguing that it would cast a shadow over their family graves.
They say the planned 250-foot (76-meter) tall monument would “permanently cast a shadow” over former US President John F. Kennedy’s grave and other family burial sites, according to court documents filed on Tuesday.
“The Arch will also obstruct the clear sightline of the Kennedy Gravesites and the John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame, in Arlington National Cemetery, from the Arlington Memorial Bridge, destroying an essential element of the Gravesites’ design,” the plaintiffs argue in their complaint.
The relatives include children and grandchildren of JFK’s brothers Robert F. Kennedy and Edward Kennedy. They have also filed a motion to join existing lawsuits against the project.
Just days before the Kennedy filing, federal judge Tanya Chutkan temporarily blocked construction while considering objections to the project’s legality. The Trump administration argues that Congress authorized a monument at the site in 1925, when it approved plans for Arlington Memorial Bridge.
Trump has touted the project as “the greatest and most beautiful triumphal arch, anywhere in the world.” The administration has also launched a website showcasing its design for a towering structure made of white stone and gold.
The arch is one of several projects in Washington that Trump has initiated in his second term. He has renovated the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, paved over the White House Rose Garden, and added statues to the presidential residence.
The administration has also demolished the White House East Wing to make way for a $400 million ballroom, another project facing legal opposition. The Supreme Court allowed construction to continue in August, although the case remains unresolved.