Officials preview DC security for Army's 250th anniversary parade

The Hill

a day ago

(NewsNation) — U.S. Secret Service, FBI, and other federal security officials on Monday afternoon gave an update on the protective measures for next week's parade celebrating the Army's 250th anniversary.
The parade will bring more than 150 armored vehicles, tanks, and more than 6,000 soldiers to the nation's capital. The soldiers will be housed in nearby federal buildings.
Army officials estimate around 200,000 people will attend the highly anticipated military parade on Saturday, which is also Flag Day and President Donald Trump's 79th birthday.
With an influx of soldiers, weapons and potential protestors headed toward Washington, D.C., the parade will be classified as a national special security event, according to plans obtained by the Associated Press.
The Federal Aviation Administration will be suspending flight operations on the day of the parade, and encourage anyone with flight plans that evening to check with their airlines for any changes.
Pamela Smith, Chief of Police at the Washington Metropolitan Police Department, said there are no known credible threats to the parade.
When: The hourlong parade begins at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Where: Constitution Avenue NW between 15th and 23rd streets
The screening checkpoint for the 250th birthday parade will open at 2:00 p.m. EDT at 14th Street between Independence and Constitution Avenues, and C Street NW between 18th and 19th Street.
Prior to the parade, a wreath-laying ceremony will take place at Arlington National Cemetery. The festival at the National Mall will begin at 11 a.m. local time. The only screening checkpoint for the festival will open at 8 a.m. EDT near the National Mall at 7th Street NW between Madison Drive and Jefferson Drive SW.
The MPD has a list of prohibited items and additional road closures on its website.
'We have such a rich history and heritage from the Revolutionary War, WWI, WWII, Vietnam, the global war on terror,' said Col. Kamil Sztalkoper, director of public affairs for the III Armored Corps at Fort Cavazos in Texas. 'There are so many stories of our soldiers, their performance in combat, their heroism that just needs to be told.'
In a statement Friday, Army spokesperson Steve Warren said the Army's birthday celebration will include 'a spectacular fireworks display, a parade, and a daylong festival on the National Mall.'
The extravagant parade — a recent addition to the festival — could cost taxpayers up to $45 million, according to U.S. military officials.
During his first term, Trump proposed a parade after seeing one in France on Bastille Day in 2017. Trump said that after watching the 2-hour procession along the famed Champs-Élysées, he wanted an even grander one on Pennsylvania Avenue.
That plan was ultimately dumped due to the huge cost — with one estimate of $92 million — and other logistical issues, including objections from city officials who said tanks and other heavy armored vehicles would tear up the roads.
In protest of Trump's pricey parade and politics, activist groups nationwide are coming together to hold a 'No Kings' protest during the Flag Day celebration.
'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,' the coalition's website reads.
Public Citizen co-president Lisa Gilbert said her organization — and many others — are coming together 'to reject corrupt, authoritarian politics in the United States.'
'It's Flag Day, so we're going to be talking about what America should stand for, what our core values are, and just say it very clearly: Our country doesn't have a king,' Gilbert said.
Demonstrations are scheduled in cities across the U.S., including Phoenix, Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia and Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.