The world is burning. Donald Trump's answer? Fireworks, robot dogs and a three-hour birthday parade
WASHINGTON — Outside the fence, the world raged on. In Minnesota, an assassin shot and killed a Democratic politician and her husband Saturday in a 'politically motivated' attack. Israel bombed Iran for a third consecutive day. Iran fired back, to lesser effect. In Los Angeles, marines deployed to quell protests remained on the streets. They detained a man, a U.S. citizen, on American soil, before handing him over to the federal police.
All across the U.S. on Saturday, the protests grew. In Los Angeles and New York, in Philadelphia and Portland, in dozens of cities in all 50 states. They took to the streets, united, for once, under a single creed: No Kings. Not in America. Not yet.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Toronto Star
2 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith contemplates increased security after shooting of Democratic lawmakers
Lawmakers on Sunday continued to reel from the shooting of two Democratic Minnesota state legislators in their homes that led to the death of one and her husband, contemplating a previously unthinkable world where democratically-elected representatives need full-time security details to protect them from the public. 'I don't want to think that I have to a personal security detail everywhere I go, but I think we really have to look at the situation that we're in,' Democratic Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith said Sunday on NBC News. 'This is no way for our government to work when people, any number of us, feel this kind of threat.'
Vancouver Sun
2 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Protesters crowd into streets, parks and plazas at anti-Trump 'No Kings' demonstrations across U.S.
PHILADELPHIA — Masses of demonstrators packed into streets, parks and plazas across the U.S. on Saturday to protest President Donald Trump, marching through downtowns and small towns, blaring anti-authoritarian chants mixed with support for protecting democracy and immigrant rights. Organizers of the 'No Kings' demonstrations said millions had marched in hundreds of events. Confrontations were isolated. But police in Los Angeles, where protests over federal immigration enforcement raids erupted a week earlier and sparked demonstrations across the country, used tear gas and crowd-control munitions to clear out protesters after the formal event ended. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Huge, boisterous crowds marched, danced, drummed, and chanted shoulder-to-shoulder in New York, Denver, Chicago, Austin and Los Angeles. Atlanta's 5,000-capacity event quickly reached its limit, with thousands more gathered outside barriers to hear speakers in front of the state Capitol. Trump was in Washington for a military parade marking the Army's 250th anniversary that coincides with the president's birthday. About 200 protesters assembled in northwest Washington's Logan Circle and chanted 'Trump must go now' before erupting in cheers. A larger-than-life puppet of Trump — a caricature of the president wearing a crown and sitting on a golden toilet — was wheeled through the crowd. In some places, organizers handed out little American flags while others flew their flags upside down, a sign of distress. Mexican flags, which have become a fixture of the Los Angeles protests against immigration raids, also made an appearance at some demonstrations. In Culpepper, Virginia, police said one person was struck by an SUV when a 21-year-old driver accelerated his SUV into the crowd as protesters were leaving a rally. The driver was charged with reckless driving. In Phoenix, a masked man pulled a gun on the crowd but did not fire before he was taken into custody. A rally in the city where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776 was noted as the day's flagship event. Thousands gathered downtown, and organizers handed out small American flags as people carried protest signs saying 'fight oligarchy' and 'deport the mini-Mussolinis.' Karen Van Trieste, a 61-year-old nurse who drove up from Maryland, said she grew up in Philadelphia and wanted to be with a large group of people showing her support. 'I just feel like we need to defend our democracy,' she said. She is concerned about the Trump administration's layoffs of staff at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the fate of immigrant communities and Trump trying to rule by executive order, she said. A woman wearing a foam Statue of Liberty crown brought a speaker system and led an anti-Trump sing-along, changing the words 'young man' in the song 'Y.M.C.A.' to 'con man.' Trump regularly plays the song at his political rallies. 'I am what the successful American dream looks like,' said C.C. Tellez, an immigrant from Bolivia who attended the protest. 'I've enjoyed great success here in the United States, and I've also contributed heavily to my community. And if there was space for me, I think there's a way for everybody else to belong here as well.' Thousands gathered in front of City Hall, waving signs and listening to a Native American drum circle before marching through the streets. It was the largest demonstration since protesters began gathering last week in response to immigration raids across the LA-area and, later, against Trump's deployment of the National Guard and Marines. As protesters passed National Guard troops or U.S. Marines stationed at various buildings, most interactions were friendly, with demonstrators giving fist bumps or posing for selfies. But others chanted 'shame' or 'go home' at the troops. A few blocks from City Hall, protesters gathered in front of the downtown federal detention centre being guarded by a line of Marines and other law enforcement. It was the first time that the Marines, in combat gear and holding rifles, have appeared at a demonstration since they were deployed to city on Friday with the stated mission of defending federal property. Peter Varadi, 54, said he voted for Trump last November for 'economic reasons.' Now, for the first time in his life, he is protesting, waving a Mexican and U.S. combined flag. 'I voted for Donald Trump, and now I regret that, because he's taken this fascism to a new level,' Varadi said. 'It's Latinos now. Who's next? It's gays. Blacks after that. They're coming for everybody.' Even after the formal event ended, the downtown streets were packed with a jubilant crowd as people danced to salsa music and snacked on hot dogs and ice cream bought from vendors, many of whom are Latino immigrants. But the previously calm demonstration turned confrontational as police on horseback moved into the crowd and struck some people with wood rods and batons as they cleared the street in front of the federal building. Marchers in the crowd that stretched for blocks along Fifth Avenue had diverse reasons for coming, including anger over Trump's immigration policies, support for the Palestinian people and outrage over what they said was an erosion of free speech rights. But there were patriotic symbols, too. Leah Griswold, 32, and Amber Laree, 59, who marched in suffragette white dresses, brought 250 American flags to hand out to people in the crowd. 'Our mothers who came out, fought for our rights, and now we're fighting for future generations as well,' Griswold said. Some protesters held signs denouncing Trump while others banged drums. 'We're here because we're worried about the existential crisis of this country and the planet and our species,' said Sean Kryston, 28. Gov. Tim Walz and law enforcement encouraged people not to attend rallies 'out of an abundance of caution' as authorities searched for the suspect in the shootings of two Democratic state lawmakers. Dozen of events were cancelled, but tens of thousands still turned out for demonstrations in Duluth, Rochester and St. Paul, which included a march to the state Capitol. Walz cancelled his scheduled appearance at the St. Paul event. Authorities said the suspect had 'No Kings' flyers in his car and writings mentioning the names of the victims as well as other lawmakers and officials, though they could not say if he had any other specific targets. Seda Heng, 29, of Rochester, said she was heartbroken by the shootings, but still wanted to join the rally there. 'These people are trying to do what they can for their communities, for the state, for the nation,' Heng told the Minnesota Star-Tribune. Crowds cheered anti-Trump speakers in Charlotte's First Ward Park before marching, chanting 'No kings. No crowns. We will not bow down.' Jocelyn Abarca, a 21-year-old college student, said the protest was a chance to 'speak for what's right' after mass deportations and Trump's deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles. 'If we don't stop it now, it's just going to keep getting worse,' she said. A rally at the Texas Capitol in Austin went off as planned despite state police briefly shutting down the building and the surrounding grounds after authorities said they received a 'credible threat' to Democratic state lawmakers who were to attend. Dozens of state troopers swarmed through the grounds about four hours before the event, but the area was later opened and the rally started on time. The building remained closed. The Department of Public Safety later said one person was taken into custody 'in connection with the threats made against state lawmakers' after a traffic stop in La Grange, Texas, about 65 miles (105 kilometres) east of Austin. State police did not detail the threat or immediately identify the person, but said there was no additional active threat. A demonstration of hundreds of people opened to 'War Pigs' by Black Sabbath playing over a sound system on the state Capitol lawn in Jackson. 'A lot of stuff that's going on now is targeting people of colour, and to see so many folks out here that aren't black or brown fighting for the same causes that I'm here for, it makes me very emotional,' said Tony Cropper, who travelled from Tennessee to attend the protest. Melissa Johnson said she drove an hour-and-a-half to Jackson to protest because 'we are losing the thread of democracy in our country.' — Associated Press journalists across the country contributed to this report.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith contemplates increased security after shooting of Democratic lawmakers
Lawmakers on Sunday continued to reel from the shooting of two Democratic Minnesota state legislators in their homes that led to the death of one and her husband, contemplating a previously unthinkable world where democratically-elected representatives need full-time security details to protect them from the public. 'I don't want to think that I have to a personal security detail everywhere I go, but I think we really have to look at the situation that we're in,' Democratic Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith said Sunday on NBC News. 'This is no way for our government to work when people, any number of us, feel this kind of threat.' The state's other U.S. Senator, Amy Klobuchar, directly addressed the increasingly toxic atmosphere around politics as she remembered state Rep. Melissa Hortman, who was killed in the attack. 'These are real people, and before you start ascribing motives or going after them online maybe you should think about Melissa Hortman's life,' Klobuchar, a Democrat, said on CNN. 'This is a person that did everything for the right reasons. Regardless of political parties, look at her face before you send out your next post.' The attack that killed Hortman, her husband Mark and gravely wounded state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife was a nightmare scenario for the thousands of American who serve as legislators across the 50 states and in Washington. They routinely attend public events with little or no security screening and live with their families in communities torn by the nation's political divides. The FBI has offered a $50,000 reward for information on the suspect, Vance Boelter, 57, who was the subject of a massive manhunt Sunday. The attacks amid a recent flurry of political violence that appears to be coming from all ideological corners. U.S. Capitol Police increased security for Klobuchar and Smith following the attacks, which occurred early Saturday morning. Minnesota's entire congressional delegation, both Republicans and Democrats, released a joint statement condemning the killings. 'Today we speak with one voice to express our outrage, grief, and condemnation of this horrible attack on public servants,' the statement said. 'There is no place in our democracy for politically-motivated violence.' 'Nothing brings us together more than, you know, mourning for somebody else who's in political life,' GOP Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said on NBC. 'Republican or Democrats. You know, we come together about this.' Paul said that he himself had been the victim of political violence when he was attacked by a neighbor in 2017, as well as at the Republican practice for the Congressional baseball game where a gunman severely injured several people, including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise. Associated Press writer Gary Fields contributed reporting.
