LIVE: 'No Kings' Day rallies in protest of Trump taking place across metro Atlanta
The Brief
Protests labeled "No Kings" rallies are taking place across metro Atlanta as part of a national day of action against the Trump administration.
Other Georgia cities participating include Tucker, McDonough, Fayetteville, Athens, Valdosta, and Woodstock, with events organized by Indivisible, 50501 Movement, and Stand Up America.
State officials warned that any violence against law enforcement would bring "quick and heavy accountability."
ATLANTA - "No Kings" protests against President Donald Trump's policies are taking place across metro Atlanta and in nearly 2,000 other U.S. cities as a military parade rolls in Washington for the Army's 250th anniversary – which is also Flag Day and Trump's birthday.
The protests, organized by the 50501 national movement, are meant to counter what organizers call a day for Trump to feed his own ego as he turns 79 years old.
What we know
In Atlanta, a rally started at 10 a.m. Saturday at Liberty Plaza near the Georgia State Capitol.
There were an estimated 5,000 people inside the plaza, with another 2,000 outside the area, according to FOX 5 crews at the rally.
FOX 5 reporters on scene say the protesters stayed peaceful while chanting and holding their signs up.
Police blocked off parts of Capitol Avenue near the plaza for protesters. There were also several officers present inside the plaza. FOX 5 staff say none of the officers they saw were in riot gear.
After the rally at the capitol, many of the protesters moved to the 17th Street Bridge near Atlanta Station.
Once there, protesters covered both sides of the bridge to wave flags and signs at cars as they drove below on Interstate 75.
The rally is expected to last until 4 p.m. before another rally in Piedmont Park.
FOX 5 reporters on the bridge said the rally was peaceful, with people handing out sunscreen and water bottles.
A rally organizer spoke to a FOX 5 crew and said he was protesting because he was directly affected.
Tyson Randolph, a former public health worker, said he lost his job and worries about how the lack of health funding will impact people. "This is going to impact the community by not having the connection to resources or education," said Randolph.
RELATED: Gov. Kemp, AG Carr urge calm ahead of 'No Kings' protests in Georgia Saturday
In Doraville, hundreds of people showed up to march from a shopping center down Lavista Road. The group walked to Interstate 285 where they showed drivers below their signs.
Doraville Police were there to make sure traffic kept moving, but the protest stayed peaceful, according to FOX 5 crews on scene.
That protest is expected to wrap up around 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
In Douglasville, dozens of people gathered roadside on Douglas Boulevard to protest.
People raised signs and chanted as cars passed by on the busy road. Some cars honked in solidarity.
FOX 5 crews talked to some of the protesters who said they wanted this to show how many people in Douglas County don't like what's happening in the United States. They want people to know they're not alone.
"We all have the same purpose, and that is justice and peace and tolerance," said demonstrator Kelley Alexander.
Similar demonstrations are planned in cities across the state, including Tucker, McDonough, Fayetteville, Athens, Valdosta, and Woodstock.
Organizers say the rallies are open to all who want to stand up for constitutional checks and balances, civil liberties, and governmental accountability.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp warned that while peaceful protests are protected, any violence against law enforcement during Saturday's "No Kings" rallies will bring "quick and heavy accountability."
Attorney General Chris Carr said violent acts tied to changing public policy could be prosecuted as domestic terrorism, carrying sentences of up to 35 years.
The backstory
The "No Kings" theme was orchestrated by the 50501 Movement, a national movement made up of everyday Americans who stand for democracy and against what they call the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration. The name 50501 stands for 50 states, 50 protests, one movement.
The No Kings Day of Defiance has been organized to reject authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics and the militarization of the country's democracy, according to a press release from No Kings.
The No Kings Day of Defiance is expected to be the largest single-day mobilization since Trump returned to office, organizers said. Organizers said they are preparing for millions of people to take to the streets across all 50 states and commonwealths.
Earlier protests organized by 50501 had rallied against Trump and his former billionaire adviser Elon Musk, who led Trump's Department of Government Efficiency to cut federal spending.
Click here to find information about every U.S. rally.
What they're saying
Protesters are calling for Trump to be "dethroned" as they compare his actions to those of a king and not a democratically elected president.
"They've defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services," the group says on its website. "They've done this all while continuing to serve and enrich their billionaire allies."
"The flag doesn't belong to President Trump. It belongs to us," the No Kings website says. "On June 14th, we're showing up everywhere he isn't — to say no thrones, no crowns, no kings."
RELATED: 6 demonstrators arrested after anti-ICE rally along Buford Highway
Big picture view
The nationwide demonstrations will coincide with the Army's 250th anniversary celebration — which Trump has ratcheted up to include an expensive, lavish military parade. The event will feature hundreds of military vehicles and aircraft and thousands of soldiers.
The Army birthday celebration had already been planned. But earlier this spring, Trump announced his intention to ratchet up the event – which falls on Trump's birthday – to include 60-ton M1 Abrams battle tanks and Paladin self-propelled howitzers rolling through the city streets. He has long sought a similar display of patriotic force.
The other side
Trump said Tuesday that any protesters in DC would be "met with heavy force," but the White House later clarified that Trump supports "peaceful protests."
RELATED: Army's 250th Birthday: Everything to know about Trump's military parade
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