A huge parade celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. military, which falls on the same day as President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday, is underway in the Washington, D.C., area as protests against his agenda take place across the country.
The event is expected to include about 6,600 soldiers, 50 helicopters and 60-ton M1 Abrams battle tanks, as well as a possible 200,000 attendees, according to The Associated Press.
Demonstrations planned in response to the parade and Trump’s anti-immigration policies are also being held on Saturday, with hundreds of rallies expected to happen simultaneously across the U.S.
The “No Kings” protests follow almost a week of demonstrations prompted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids executed in Los Angeles.
The 50501 Movement has organized the countrywide response. The name stands for 50 states, 50 protests, one movement.
The group says it chose the “No Kings” name in support of democracy and speaks out against what it calls the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration.
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A “No Kings” protest in Northeast Minneapolis was cancelled this morning due to a shelter-in-place order following the fatal shootings of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband in what Gov. Tim Walz described as “targeted political violence.”
Meanwhile, authorities said they are prepared to respond and will be keeping a keen eye on immigration-related incidents at the rallies.
On Monday, the president deployed thousands of National Guard troops and several hundred U.S. Marines to California without the permission of Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Trump proposed a parade during his first term after attending France’s Bastille Day parade in 2017, but the plans were scrapped due to the predicted high costs and logistical problems.
Army leaders are defending the parade’s estimated US$25 million to $45 million cost, saying they predict it will boost recruitment.
About six in 10 Americans say the parade is “not a good use” of government money, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
This is a developing story.
— with files from The Associated Press
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