Millions expected to rally against Trump before president’s military parade
Millions of people are expected to turn out for US-wide protests as part of a “No Kings” event on Saturday – the same day Donald Trump will attend a military parade to honor the 250th anniversary of the US army that coincides with his 79th birthday.
The rallies follow a week of protests against anti-immigration raids in Los Angeles, with largely peaceful demonstrations spreading to cities including New York, Chicago, San Antonio and Atlanta. Anger at Trump’s deployment of the national guard and marines against the wishes of California officials is likely to swell numbers at today’s protests.
Meanwhile, the military parade is set to start at 6.30pm ET and is expected to feature thousands of soldiers parading through Washington DC, as well as hundreds of vehicles – including tanks and rocket launchers – dozens of aircraft – including Apache helicopters – plus 34 horses, two mules and one dog.
The event has grown extensively in scope and size since US army planners started working on a festival two years ago to mark the day. According to the AP, it will include concerts, fireworks, NFL players, fitness competitions and displays all over the National Mall. The US army expects as many as 200,000 people could attend. The event will cost an estimated $25m to $45m.
A survey earlier this week found six in 10 US adults said the parade was “not a good use” of government money, including the vast majority of people, 78%, who neither approve nor disapprove of the parade overall, according to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
Join us as we bring you the latest news and developments from protests across the US and the parade.
Key events
Minnesota police urges public to not participate in protest after lawmaker killed
The Minnesota state patrol on social media told the public to stay home today instead of participating in the “No Kings” rallies across the state.
In a post on X, the agency wrote:
“Given the targeted shootings of state lawmakers overnight, we are asking the public to not attend today’s planned demonstrations across Minnesota out of an abundance of caution.”
Trump briefed on Democratic lawmaker killed in Minnesota
Donald Trump said he had been briefed on the “terrible shooting that took place in Minnesota, which appears to be a targeted attack against State Lawmakers,” Reuters reports.
The president said in a statement: “Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place!”
Democratic lawmaker killed in Minnesota in ‘politically motivated’ attacks
Elsewhere in US politics today, a prominent Democratic state lawmaker in Minnesota and her husband were killed in what governor Tim Walz is calling a “politically motivated assassination”.
State representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, died on Saturday, Walz confirmed. Law enforcement said the gunman, who had been impersonating a police officer, is still at large.
You can read more here:
Republican governors warn public and prepare national guard before mass demonstrations
Republican governors in Virginia, Texas, Nebraska and Missouri are mobilizing national guard troops to help law enforcement manage the mass demonstrations against Donald Trump, the Associated Press reports.
Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin told reporters there would be “zero tolerance” for violence, destruction or disrupting traffic, and “if you violate the law, you’re going to be arrested”.
Missouri governor Mike Kehoe vowed to take a proactive approach and not to “wait for chaos to ensue”.
Nebraska governor Jim Pillen also signed an emergency proclamation on Friday to activate the national guard, a move his office called “a precautionary measure”.
Then, of course, there’s Florida – governor Ron DeSantis has not shied away from his disdain for the protests, even saying earlier this week that people have a right to hit demonstrators with their cars if they block roadways. There is a march that will go to the gates of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, and the governor has already said the “line is very clear” and not to cross it. DeSantis has not yet, however, made moves to activate the state’s national guard.
Images coming over the news wires show protests staged around the US, from Pennsylvania to Florida to Texas:
The rallies and the parade are happening against the backdrop of a week when Donald Trump’s handling of LA protests was repeatedly highlighted as a sign of the United States’ potential slide into authoritarianism.
California filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration challenging the federal deployment of the national guard over Newsom’s objections. Meanwhile, Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, earlier threatened to arrest Newsom and the Los Angeles mayor, Karen Bass, a move the governor said was “an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism”.
California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, warned that Trump was increasingly behaving like a “dictator” and that “democracy is under assault”.
Bass also said her city was being used as a proving ground for how the federal government might exert its authority over other local governments that resist the president’s agenda. “I feel like we are part of an experiment that we did not ask to be a part of,” she said, speaking at a press conference in downtown Los Angeles on Monday.
And armed services veterans warned the deployment of national guard troops in the face of opposition from California’s leaders risked the politicisation of the US military.
My colleague David Smith looked at what to expect from Trump’s military parade in Washington DC.
He writes:
While the army has said it has no plans to recognize Trump’s birthday, the president will play a major role in a made-for-TV extravaganza that will reportedly feature rocket launchers and missiles.
The show of military might comes just a week after Trump activated thousands of national guard troops and marines to quell protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles. Opponents draw a direct line from that crackdown to Saturday’s authoritarian display of dominance.
“He’s adopted not only the signifiers of dictator chic but the actual articles of its faith,” said Rick Wilson, a political strategist and cofounder of the Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump group. “North Korea: military parades. China: military parades. Russia: military parades.
Read his full piece to find out more about Trump’s “dictator chic” military parade:
On Tuesday, Donald Trump warned people against protesting at the military parade in Washington to celebrate the US army’s 250th anniversary.
“For those people that want to protest, they’re going to be met with very heavy force,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “I haven’t even heard about a protest, but you know, this is people that hate our country, but they will be met with very heavy force.”
Trump’s comments came as he was criticized for a heavy-handed response to anti-Ice protests in Los Angeles. California sued the Trump administration over its deployment of national guard troops against the wishes of the state’s leadership. California’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, said on Monday that the state’s sovereignty was “trampled”.
California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, accused Trump of using troops as political pawns and LA’s mayor, Karen Bass, accused the federal government of using her city as a “test case” for the federal government taking over from local and states authorities and said the intervention was completely unwarranted.
There were no No Kings protests planned for Washington DC.
Trump: parade is ‘rain or shine’ amid evening storms projected for Washington
Donald Trump said on his Truth Social platform that Saturday’s military parade would go ahead come “rain or shine”.
Trump wrote:
OUR GREAT MILITARY PARADE IS ON, RAIN OR SHINE. REMEMBER, A RAINY DAY PARADE BRINGS GOOD LUCK. I’LL SEE YOU ALL IN D.C.
Earlier, after sharing a picture of army personnel with the message “happy 250th birthday army”, he posted:
This is a big day for America!!! DJT
Then he followed it up with “happy flag day”.
The Associated Press (AP) has a useful explainer on why the No Kings protests have been so named:
Why is it called No Kings?
The No Kings theme was orchestrated by the 50501 movement, to support democracy and against what they call the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration. The name 50501 stands for 50 states, 50 protests, one movement.
Protests earlier this year denounced Trump and his billionaire adviser Elon Musk. Protesters have called for Trump to be “dethroned” as they compare his actions to that of a king and not a democratically elected president.
Saturday’s protests in Los Angeles could be “unprecedented” in size, the Los Angeles police chief has said, according to the New York Times.
The publication reports that rallies are expected in all 50 states on Saturday, although these will vary in size.
Thousands join No Kings rally in Atlanta
The Associated Press has a report from Atlanta, where thousands of people have joined a No Kings rally:
It’s a festive atmosphere in the shadow of the Georgia state Capitol, where the American Civil Liberties Union is handing out blue wristbands to keep count of the crowd in Liberty Plaza, which can hold up to 5,000 people.
Many of the No Kings demonstrators are carrying American flags. It’s a diverse crowd, mostly people in their 50s or older, and some families with children.
One woman is carrying a sign saying “when cruelty becomes normal, compassion looks radical.” Taylar W – she didn’t want her full last name used – said “there’s just so much going on in this country that’s not OK, and if no one speaks up about it, who will?”
David Smith
The army’s 250th anniversary was originally conceived as a modest affair: a year ago, it filed a permit request for an event on the National Mall featuring 300 people, a concert by the army band and the firing of four cannons. Donald Trump’s election, however, led to a radical change of plan.
About 6,700 troops, 150 vehicles and 50 aircraft will be in Washington for a grand celebration. The vehicles have been moved to the city on trains and bigger trucks, while the helicopters will fly in.
There will be a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington national cemetery on Saturday morning followed by a fitness competition and an army birthday festival on the National Mall, including equipment displays and military demonstrations.
The day will culminate with a parade through the city.
Protesters are gathering across the US for today’s No Kings demonstrations. See above for our live feed (you may need to refresh the page).
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