Protest marches are planned in more than two thousand locations in the US on Saturday under the name ‘No Kings Day’. The demonstrators are protesting against the policies of President Donald Trump, as he oversees a military parade in Washington.
The military parade is a long-cherished wish of Trump. The parade marks the 250th anniversary of the American army. The parade also coincides with Trump’s birthday. The president turns 79 on Saturday.
Americans do not have the tradition of showing off tanks and missile systems in the streets of the capital. But after a visit to Paris on the French National Day during his first term, Trump could not let go of the idea.
During his first term, the military leadership was still able to talk Trump out of the idea. But now that Pete Hegseth, a loyal follower of the president, is Secretary of Defense, the parade will take place.
“For a change, we are going to celebrate our country,” Trump announced. Among other things, Abram tanks and howitzer missiles will be on display, and 7,000 soldiers will participate.
Possible millions of demonstrators
But demonstrators are seizing the day to express their dissatisfaction with the president’s policies. A total of two thousand demonstrations have been registered. Under the name ‘No Kings’, they oppose what they consider authoritarian policies.
The demonstrations are coordinated by the organization 50501, which was founded in January of this year. The name stands for 50 protests, 50 states and 1 movement. “The flag does not belong to President Trump. It belongs to us,” the organization’s website states. “On June 14, we say: no thrones, no crowns, no kings.”
The organization describes the spectacle in Washington as a “costly, wasteful and un-American birthday parade”. 50501 expects the protest to be the largest since the start of Trump’s second term. Possibly millions of Americans will participate. The largest rally is planned in Philadelphia. In principle, there will be no protests in the capital.
Opponents of Trump intimidated by parade
In a number of states with Republican governors, the troops of the National Guard have been mobilized in response to the announced protests. This includes Virginia, Texas, Nebraska and Missouri. “There will be a zero tolerance for violence, destruction or disruption of traffic,” said Glenn Youngkin, the governor of Virginia.
The demonstrations in Los Angeles, and Trump’s reaction to them, put the military parade in a new light. Because Trump deployed the army against demonstrators in LA, opponents say the parade may come across as intimidating to Americans who disagree with the president. The purpose of such a parade is usually to show military readiness to foreign adversaries.
Earlier this week, Trump responded that the demonstrators “hate their country” and that anyone demonstrating in Washington “will be confronted with very great force”. Later, the White House spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, added that Trump supports peaceful protests.