The American President Donald Trump was the target of massive protests in his country during his birthday. Hundreds of thousands of Americans took to the streets on Saturday (local time) to protest against his policies on the so-called ‘No Kings Day’.
Trump turned 79 on Saturday. That day, a large military parade was also held in honor of the 250th anniversary of the American army. But those festivities were accompanied by huge demonstrations.
With the theme ‘No Kings’, the protesters emphasized that no one is above the law, not even the president. According to The Guardian, actions were carried out in some 2,100 locations across the country. The number of participants is large: in New York, more than 200,000 people joined, and in Philadelphia, more than 100,000.
The protest was fueled by Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to contain protests in Los Angeles. During those protests against the deportation of immigrants, extensive destruction was committed. The deployment of the guards was prohibited by a federal judge, but can continue for the time being because Trump appealed against the ruling.
The protesters believe that the president is placing himself above the law. The protests in Los Angeles therefore increased again. Protesters threw objects at a government building, walked with Mexican flags and chanted slogans. To disperse the protesters who were outside the permitted protest area, the police used tear gas and rubber bullets.
Protest in Minnesota continued despite deadly shooting
The ‘No Kings’ protest was peaceful in most places. In Texas, the National Guard was also deployed to keep everything running smoothly. There, a government building in Austin was temporarily evacuated due to threats against politicians who wanted to participate in the action. A suspect has been arrested.
In Salt Lake City, a demonstration was shot at, with at least one person sustaining life-threatening injuries. The injured person was taken to the hospital. The police have arrested a suspect. It is not clear who fired the shots.
The protest in Minnesota had been canceled after a shooter opened fire on two politicians and their partners. One of the Democrats, Melissa Hortman and her partner, did not survive. The police released the name of the suspect and a manhunt has been launched.
Yet thousands of people showed up at the protests to make it clear that political violence would not silence them, writes The Guardian. Many carried signs with the names of the Democrats.
“We are all affected, not only by political violence, but by all the violence in our lives,” said organizer Perry McGowan. “There is far too much gun violence, far too much hate on television, far too much inhumanity towards our neighbors, and we must act against it and show courtesy for our common good.”