Washington, Nov 11 (V7N)- Nine members of the Kennedy family have filed a lawsuit seeking to block the construction of a proposed 250-foot-tall monument to US President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., arguing that it would obstruct views of their relatives’ graves and memorials at Arlington National Cemetery.
The family members claim that the proposed structure would damage the historic setting of the cemetery, where generations of Americans have paid tribute to fallen soldiers.
The nine relatives joined an existing lawsuit against the Trump administration by filing a petition in a federal court in Washington on Tuesday (November 10). Authorities in Washington, D.C., and Virginia also filed separate lawsuits last month seeking to halt construction of the proposed arch.
In their court filing, the Kennedy family members alleged that Trump is unlawfully attempting to build a massive monument.
They argued that the proposed design and location would obstruct views of the Kennedy family graves from the Arlington Memorial Bridge. In particular, they said the structure would obscure the Eternal Flame at the grave of former US President John F. Kennedy, effectively undermining a key feature of the memorial's design.
The plaintiffs include relatives of former president John F. Kennedy, including his children and grandchildren, as well as family members connected to Robert F. Kennedy and Edward M. Kennedy.
Six members of the Kennedy family are buried at Arlington National Cemetery: John F. Kennedy, his wife and former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Robert F. Kennedy, his wife Ethel Kennedy, Edward M. Kennedy and Lieutenant Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.
The family's lawyers argue that they have a legal right to challenge construction that could undermine the dignity and historical character of their relatives' burial sites.
The petition also states that courts have previously recognised family members' interests and rights in protecting the burial places of deceased relatives.
END/SMA/AJ
