"No Kings" anti-Trump protests attract millions, organizers say
Millions of protesters across the U.S. took to the streets in demonstrations against the Trump administration on Saturday, in stark counter-programming to the president's Washington, D.C., military parade planned to start later Saturday.
Why it matters: The widespread movement marked the biggest single-day of anti-President Trump protest during his second administration, per "No Kings" protest organizers.
Philadelphia saw more than 100,000 attendees while smaller towns such as Pentland, Michigan reported 400 in a town of 800, organizers said.
State of play: "No Kings" protest events were organized in more than 2,000 cities, along with an additional 300 "Kick Out the the Clowns" rallies.
A shooting targeting lawmakers and killing House Democratic Leader Melissa Hortman in Minnesota led to some event cancellations, but protesters still amassed in the state.
What we're watching: Trump threatened "very big force" against protests during the parade.
The administration had deployed National Guard members and Marines to Los Angeles in response to protests against immigration raids.
The intrigue: "No Kings" organizers intentionally avoided planning any events in Washington, D.C., where Trump planned a military parade on the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army and his 79th birthday.
"Instead of allowing this birthday parade to be the center of gravity, we will make action everywhere else the story of America that day: people coming together in communities across the country to reject strongman politics and corruption," organizers wrote.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
21 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Macron to visit Greenland to show European support for the strategic Arctic island coveted by Trump
NUUK, Greenland — French President Emmanuel Macron's first trip to Greenland, the strategic Arctic island coveted by U.S. President Donald Trump, is aimed at shoring up Europe's political backing for Denmark and its semiautonomous territory. Macron's visit on Sunday comes just ahead a meeting of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations next week in Canada that will be attended by both Macron and Trump.
Washington Post
30 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Live updates: Manhunt continues for suspect in shootings of Minnesota lawmakers
A sprawling manhunt continued into early Sunday for Vance Luther Boelter, the suspect in the shootings of two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses on Saturday. Gov. Tim Walz (D) said the attacks appeared to be 'an act of targeted political violence.' Melissa Hortman, a top Democrat in the Minnesota House of Representatives, and her husband, Mark, were killed in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, while Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were injured in a separate attack in the Minneapolis suburb of Champlin. A $50,000 FBI reward has been offered for information on Boelter, 57, a White man with security experience. Officers found a list featuring Democrats supporting abortion rights and other liberal causes in a vehicle used by the suspect. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) said that state flags will fly at half-staff to honor and remember veteran state Rep. Melissa Hortman (D), who was killed along with her husband in a shooting that Walz had earlier described as an 'act of political violence.' 'She woke up every morning determined to make Minnesota a better place, and she will be greatly missed,' he wrote on X.
Associated Press
31 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Macron to visit Greenland to show European support for the strategic Arctic island coveted by Trump
NUUK, Greenland (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron's first trip to Greenland, the strategic Arctic island coveted by U.S. President Donald Trump, is aimed at shoring up Europe's political backing for Denmark and its semiautonomous territory. Macron's visit on Sunday comes just ahead a meeting of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations next week in Canada that will be attended by both Macron and Trump. The French president's office said the trip to Greenland is a reminder that Paris supports principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders as enshrined in the U.N. charter. Macron is also to meet with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen. Macron mentioned Greenland last week in his opening speech at the U.N. Ocean Conference, saying it isn't 'up for grabs' in remarks that appeared directed largely at Trump. 'The deep seas are not for sale, nor is Greenland up for grabs, nor are the Arctic or the high seas for sale, nor are fishing licenses in developing countries up for grabs, nor are scientific data and the security of coastal populations to be sacrificed,″ Macron said at the summit in Nice, France. Macron's role in Europe Macron in recent months has sought to reinvigorate France's role as the diplomatic and economic heavyweight of the 27-nation European Union. The French president has positioned himself as a leader in Europe amid Trump's threats to pull support from Ukraine as it fights against Russia's invasion. Macron hosted a summit in Paris with other European heads of state to discuss Kyiv, as well as security issues on the continent. Sunday's visit will also be the occasion to discuss how to further enhance relations between the EU and Greenland when it comes to economic development, low-carbon energy transition and critical minerals. The leaders will also have exchanges on efforts to curb global warming, according to Macron's office. A meeting between Macron, Frederiksen and Nielsen will take place on a Danish helicopter carrier, showing France's concerns over security issues in the region, Macron's office said. Trump and Greenland Last week, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared to acknowledge that the Pentagon has developed plans to take over Greenland and Panama by force if necessary but refused to answer repeated questions during a hotly combative congressional hearing Thursday about his use of Signal chats to discuss military operations. Hegseth's comments were the latest controversial remarks made by a member of the Trump administration about the Arctic island. The president himself has said he won't rule out military force to take over Greenland, which he considers vital to American security in the high north. The Wall Street Journal last month reported that several high-ranking officials under the U.S. director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, had directed intelligence agency heads to learn more about Greenland's independence movement and sentiment about U.S. resource extraction there. Nielsen in April said that U.S. statements about the island have been disrespectful and that Greenland 'will never, ever be a piece of property that can be bought by just anyone.' ___ Corbet reported from Paris. Associated Press writer Stefanie Dazio in Berlin contributed to this report.
