
Trump hosts military parade amid 'No Kings' protests across US
The grand military parade that US President Donald Trump had been wanting for years barrelled down Constitution Avenue in Washington, DC on Saturday with tanks, troops and a 21-gun salute.
It played out against the counterpoint of protests around the country by those who decried the US leader as a dictator and would-be king.
During the parade, which coincided with Trump's 79th birthday, he sat on a special viewing stand south of the White House to watch the display of American military might, which began early and moved swiftly as light rain fell and dark clouds shrouded the Washington Monument.
The procession, with more than 6,000 soldiers and 128 Army tanks, was one Trump tried to make happen in his first term after seeing such an event in Paris in 2017, but the plans never came together until this year, when the parade was added to an event recognising the Army's 250th anniversary.
Hours before the parade started, demonstrators turned out in streets and parks around the nation to sound off against the Republican president. They criticized Trump for using the military to respond to people protesting his deportation efforts and for the muscular military show in the US capital.
In Washington, anti-war protesters unfurled signs that said 'Homes not drones' not far from a display of armoured vehicles, helicopters and military-grade equipment on the National Mall set up to commemorate the Army's birthday. Vendors outside the festival sold gear marking the military milestone. Others hawked Trump-themed merchandise.
Doug Haynes, a Navy veteran who voted for Trump, attended the daylong festival to celebrate the Army's 250th birthday, but said that the parade 'was a little over the top.'
Pointing at a nearby tank, Haynes said that having them roll down the street is a 'very bold statement to the world, perhaps.'
'No Kings' rallies unfolded in hundreds of cities, designed to counter what organisers said were Trump's plans to feed his ego on his 79th birthday and flag day. Organisers said they picked the name to support democracy and speak out against what they call the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration.
The parade was added just a few weeks ago to the planned celebration of the Army's birthday and has drawn criticism for its price tag of up to $45 million and the possibility that the lumbering tanks could tear up city streets. The Army has taken a variety of steps to protect the streets, including laying metal plates along the route.
The daylong display of America's Army comes as Trump has shown his willingness to use the nation's military might in ways other US presidents have typically avoided.
In the last week, he has activated the California National Guard without the governor's permission and dispatched the US Marines to provide security during Los Angeles protests related to immigration raids, prompting a state lawsuit to stop the deployments.
A previously calm demonstration in downtown LA quickly turned chaotic as police on horseback charged at the crowd, striking some with wood rods and batons as they cleared the street in front of the federal building.
Officers then fired tear gas and crowd control projectiles at the large group, sending demonstrators, hot dog vendors and passing pedestrians fleeing through the street. Some have since regrouped, ignoring an LAPD dispersal order.
'Less lethal has been approved. Less lethal may cause discomfort and pain. It is advised that all persons leave the area,' police said in a post on X.
'It was a total 100% over-reaction. We weren't doing anything but standing around chanting peaceful protest,' said Samantha Edgerton, a 37-year-old bartender.
Marines appeared for the first time at a demonstration since they were deployed to city on Friday with the stated mission of defending federal property.
Dozens of Marines stood shoulder to shoulder in full combat gear, hands on their rifles, beside other law enforcement, including Department of Homeland Security officers at the National Guard.
Directly in front of them, hundreds of protesters jeered in English and Spanish, telling the federal troops to go home.
Iran and Israel traded rounds of strikes late Saturday in the latest salvo since a surprise attack a day earlier aimed at decimating Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear programme.
Israeli citizens were instructed to take shelter in protected spaces as Iran launched a new round of retaliatory attacks.
'Millions of Israelis are running to shelter in northern Israel due to projectile fire from Iran,' the Israeli military said in a post on X.
The Magen David Adom emergency service said one woman was killed, with over a dozen others wounded, when a two-story home in the north was hit. Within the hour, Israel's military said people could leave shelters.
Both Israel's military and Iran state television announced the latest round of Iranian missiles as explosions were heard near midnight, while the Israeli security cabinet met.
Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in a statement said that Iranian missiles targeted facilities of production of fuel for Israeli jetfighters. It said Iran will fire further missiles if Israeli strikes continue.
The countries have been trading blows a day after Israel's blistering attack on Iranian nuclear and military sites.
Israel's military quickly noted that it was also striking 'military targets' in Tehran.
'Tehran is burning," Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on social media, and Iranian state television said explosions were heard in the city's east and west.
Jordan said it has closed its airspace.
Oman's foreign minister, Badr al-Busaidi, said on social media the sixth round of indirect nuclear talks on Sunday 'will not now take place." Although the talks are off for now, 'we remain committed to talks and hope the Iranians will come to the table soon," said a senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss diplomacy.
Israel and Iran signalled further attacks, despite urgent calls from world leaders to deescalate and avoid all-out war.
In what could be another escalation if confirmed, semi-official Iranian news agencies reported an Israeli drone struck and caused a 'strong explosion' at an Iranian natural-gas processing plant. It would be the first Israeli attack on Iran's oil and natural gas industry. Israel's military did not immediately comment.
The extent of damage at the South Pars natural gas field was not immediately clear. Such sites have air defence systems around them, which Israel has been targeting.
Iran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only, and US intelligence agencies have assessed that Tehran was not actively pursuing the bomb. But its uranium enrichment has reached near weapons-grade levels, and on Thursday, the UN's atomic watchdog censured Iran for not complying with obligations meant to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon.
Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Aragchi said Saturday the nuclear talks were 'unjustifiable' after Israel's strikes. His comments came during a call with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


France 24
22 minutes ago
- France 24
Millions take to the streets in 'No Kings' anti-Trump protests across the US
Masses of demonstrators packed into streets, parks and plazas across the United States 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. Organisers of the 'No Kings' demonstrations said millions had marched in hundreds of events. Governors across the US had urged calm and vowed no tolerance for violence, while some mobilised the National Guard ahead of marchers gathering. 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. Officers in Portland also fired tear gas and projectiles to disperse a crowd that protested in front of a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement building well into the evening. And in Salt Lake City, Utah, police were investigating a shooting during a march downtown that left one person critically injured. Three people were taken into custody, including a man believed to be the shooter, who also suffered a gunshot wound, according to Police Chief Brian Redd. Redd said it was too early to tell if the shooting was politically motivated and whether those involved knew each other. The shooter appeared to be walking alongside the group of thousands who were marching, he added. Video feeds showed demonstrators running for safety as gunshots rang out. Huge, boisterous crowds marched, danced, drummed, and chanted shoulder-to-shoulder in New York, Denver, Chicago, Austin and Los Angeles, some behind 'no kings' banners. 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. Officials in Seattle estimated that more than 70,000 people attended the city's largest rally downtown, the Seattle Times reported. 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, organisers 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 Saturday. In Culpepper, Virginia, police said one person was struck by an SUV when a 21-year-old driver intentionally accelerated his SUV into the crowd as protesters were leaving a rally. The driver was charged with reckless driving. The demonstrations come on the heels of the protests over the federal immigration enforcement raids that began last week and Trump ordering the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles, where protesters blocked a freeway and set cars on fire. 'Today, across red states and blue, rural towns and major cities, Americans stood in peaceful unity and made it clear: we don't do kings," the No Kings Coalition said in a statement Saturday afternoon after many events had ended. Thousands gathered downtown, where organizers handed out small American flags and 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 US 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'. 'I am what the successful American dream looks like,' said C.C. Téllez, 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. 'I voted for Donald Trump, now I regret that' As protesters passed National Guard troops or US 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. Amid signs reading 'They fear us don't back down California' and 'We carry dreams not danger, ' one demonstrator carried a 2-foot-tall (60-centimeter) Trump pinata on a stick, with a crown on his head and sombrero hanging off his back. Another hoisted a huge helium-filled orange baby balloon with blond hair styled like Trump's. 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 US 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. 'The existential crisis of this country' 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. Governor Tim Walz and law enforcement encouraged people not to attend rallies 'out of an abundance of caution' following the shootings of the Democratic state lawmakers. Dozens of events were canceled, but tens of thousands still turned out for demonstrations in Duluth, Rochester and St. Paul, which included a march to the state Capitol. Walz canceled 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." Marchers stretched for blocks, led by a group of people holding a giant Mexican flag and bystanders cheering and clapping along the way. 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. Naomi Mena said she traveled an hour to demonstrate in Charlotte to represent her 'friends and family who sadly can't have a voice out in public now' to stay safe. 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. Tear gas, flash bangs and rubber bullets 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 traveled from Tennessee to attend the protest. Some people wore tinfoil crowns atop their heads. Others held signs inviting motorists to 'Honk if you never text war plans.' 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". Earlier in the day, thousands of protesters lined the streets in downtown Portland for several blocks, waving signs as passing cars honked in support. They marched around the city draped in American flags to the beat of drums and music. By late afternoon, a small group of demonstrators amassed across the river to protest in front of an ICE office where three people were arrested Wednesday night after starting a small fire against the building, police said. Federal immigration officers fired tear gas, flash bangs and rubber bullets in an effort to clear out the remaining protesters in the evening. Some protesters threw water bottles back and tended to each other's wounds. The police department wrote on X that the event was declared a riot. At least two people were detained and taken inside the federal immigration building.


France 24
2 hours ago
- France 24
Iran missiles kill 10 in Israel in night of mutual attacks
In Iran, a heavy cloud of smoke billowed over the capital after Israeli aircraft struck two fuel depots. For days, Iranians have formed long queues at gas stations fearing shortages. US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Washington "had nothing to do" with ally Israel's intense bombardment campaign that was launched early Friday, targeting key military and nuclear sites in Iran. But Trump threatened to launch "the full strength and might" if Iran attacks US interests, saying on his Truth Social platform that "we can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict!!!" Israeli police said six people were killed and at least 180 injured at the site of an overnight missile strike in Bat Yam, near Tel Aviv on Israel's Mediterranean coast. First responders wearing helmets and headlamps combed through the bombed-out building as dawn broke, with police saying at least seven people were missing, feared buried under the rubble. "There was an explosion and I thought the whole house had collapsed," said Bat Yam resident Shahar Ben Zion. "It was a miracle we survived." In the north of Israel, rescuers and medics said a strike late Saturday destroyed a three-storey building in the town of Tamra, killing four women and taking the overall death toll in the country since Friday to 13. Iran's UN ambassador said 78 people were killed and 320 wounded in Friday's first wave of Israeli strikes. Iranian authorities have not provided an updated toll as of early Sunday, but Tehran says Israel has killed top army commanders and nuclear scientists. - 'Red line' - After decades of enmity and conflict by proxy, it is the first time the arch-enemies have traded fire with such intensity, triggering fears of a prolonged conflict that could engulf the entire Middle East. In Iran's capital early Sunday, AFP journalists heard a series of blasts. The Israeli military also said it had struck nuclear sites including the secretive Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND), fuel tankers and other targets. The Iranian oil ministry said Israel struck two fuel depots in the Tehran area. An AFP journalist saw a depot at Shahran, northwest of the capital, on fire. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to hit "every target of the ayatollah regime", while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned further strikes would draw "a more severe and powerful response". Israeli strikes have hit Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment plant and killed its highest-ranking military officer, Mohammad Bagheri, as well as the head of the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami. On Sunday, the Israeli military warned Iranians to evacuate areas near weapons facilities nationwide. "The Zionist regime crossed a new red line in international law" by "attacking nuclear facilities", Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told foreign diplomats, according to state TV. He also said Tehran had "solid proof" US forces supported the Israeli attacks. "We are defending ourselves; our defence is entirely legitimate... If the aggression stops, naturally our responses will also stop." - UK 'support' - The attacks persisted despite global calls for de-escalation, with Iran scrapping its latest nuclear talks with the United States, saying it could not negotiate while under fire from Israel. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Sunday they had struck sites used by Israeli warplanes for refuelling, in retaliation for the earlier Israeli strikes. The Guards in a statement vowed to respond "more fiercely and more broadly" if Israel keeps up its deadly campaign. Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels said they had launched several missiles at Israel in attacks that were "coordinated with the operations carried out by the Iranian military". The Israeli military said it had intercepted seven drones launched at the country within an hour on Sunday. Highlighting the global unease, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned against a "devastating war" with regional consequences, in a call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Ankara said. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Saturday that his country was deploying fighter jets and other "assets" to the Middle East "for contingency support", while he also urged de-escalation. © 2025 AFP


Euronews
5 hours ago
- Euronews
Iran and Israel continue exchanging strikes, leaving several dead
The grand military parade that US President Donald Trump had been wanting for years barrelled down Constitution Avenue in Washington, DC on Saturday with tanks, troops and a 21-gun salute. It played out against the counterpoint of protests around the country by those who decried the US leader as a dictator and would-be king. During the parade, which coincided with Trump's 79th birthday, he sat on a special viewing stand south of the White House to watch the display of American military might, which began early and moved swiftly as light rain fell and dark clouds shrouded the Washington Monument. The procession, with more than 6,000 soldiers and 128 Army tanks, was one Trump tried to make happen in his first term after seeing such an event in Paris in 2017, but the plans never came together until this year, when the parade was added to an event recognising the Army's 250th anniversary. Hours before the parade started, demonstrators turned out in streets and parks around the nation to sound off against the Republican president. They criticized Trump for using the military to respond to people protesting his deportation efforts and for the muscular military show in the US capital. In Washington, anti-war protesters unfurled signs that said 'Homes not drones' not far from a display of armoured vehicles, helicopters and military-grade equipment on the National Mall set up to commemorate the Army's birthday. Vendors outside the festival sold gear marking the military milestone. Others hawked Trump-themed merchandise. Doug Haynes, a Navy veteran who voted for Trump, attended the daylong festival to celebrate the Army's 250th birthday, but said that the parade 'was a little over the top.' Pointing at a nearby tank, Haynes said that having them roll down the street is a 'very bold statement to the world, perhaps.' 'No Kings' rallies unfolded in hundreds of cities, designed to counter what organisers said were Trump's plans to feed his ego on his 79th birthday and flag day. Organisers said they picked the name to support democracy and speak out against what they call the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration. The parade was added just a few weeks ago to the planned celebration of the Army's birthday and has drawn criticism for its price tag of up to $45 million and the possibility that the lumbering tanks could tear up city streets. The Army has taken a variety of steps to protect the streets, including laying metal plates along the route. The daylong display of America's Army comes as Trump has shown his willingness to use the nation's military might in ways other US presidents have typically avoided. In the last week, he has activated the California National Guard without the governor's permission and dispatched the US Marines to provide security during Los Angeles protests related to immigration raids, prompting a state lawsuit to stop the deployments. A previously calm demonstration in downtown LA quickly turned chaotic as police on horseback charged at the crowd, striking some with wood rods and batons as they cleared the street in front of the federal building. Officers then fired tear gas and crowd control projectiles at the large group, sending demonstrators, hot dog vendors and passing pedestrians fleeing through the street. Some have since regrouped, ignoring an LAPD dispersal order. 'Less lethal has been approved. Less lethal may cause discomfort and pain. It is advised that all persons leave the area,' police said in a post on X. 'It was a total 100% over-reaction. We weren't doing anything but standing around chanting peaceful protest,' said Samantha Edgerton, a 37-year-old bartender. Marines appeared for the first time at a demonstration since they were deployed to city on Friday with the stated mission of defending federal property. Dozens of Marines stood shoulder to shoulder in full combat gear, hands on their rifles, beside other law enforcement, including Department of Homeland Security officers at the National Guard. Directly in front of them, hundreds of protesters jeered in English and Spanish, telling the federal troops to go home. Iran and Israel traded rounds of strikes late Saturday in the latest salvo since a surprise attack a day earlier aimed at decimating Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear programme. Israeli citizens were instructed to take shelter in protected spaces as Iran launched a new round of retaliatory attacks. The Magen David Adom emergency service said three people were killed in the Tel Aviv area, with dozens of others wounded. Israeli police reported that four people were killed in the northern town of Tamra near Haifa, according to local media. Tamra is a predominantly Palestinian city in Israel. Across the country, over 100 people were reported injured following Iran's latest attacks. Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in a statement said that Iranian missiles targeted facilities of production of fuel for Israeli jetfighters. It said Iran will fire further missiles if Israeli strikes continue. Israel's military said early Sunday it targeted Iran's Defence Ministry headquarters in Tehran. "Tehran is burning," Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a post on X. Israel's military also said it targeted sites it alleged were associated with Iran's nuclear programme around Tehran. It alleged the sites were 'related to the Iranian regime's nuclear weapons project.' US intelligence agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency have repeatedly said Iran was not pursuing a nuclear weapon before Israel unleashed its campaign of airstrikes targeting Iran beginning Friday. Oman's foreign minister, Badr al-Busaidi, said on social media the sixth round of indirect nuclear talks on Sunday 'will not now take place." Although the talks are off for now, 'we remain committed to talks and hope the Iranians will come to the table soon," said a senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss diplomacy. Israel and Iran signalled further attacks, despite urgent calls from world leaders to deescalate and avoid all-out war. In what could be another escalation if confirmed, semi-official Iranian news agencies reported an Israeli drone struck and caused a 'strong explosion' at an Iranian natural-gas processing plant. It would be the first Israeli attack on Iran's oil and natural gas industry. Israel's military did not immediately comment. The extent of damage at the South Pars natural gas field was not immediately clear. Such sites have air defence systems around them, which Israel has been targeting. Iran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only, and US intelligence agencies have assessed that Tehran was not actively pursuing the bomb. But its uranium enrichment has reached near weapons-grade levels, and on Thursday, the UN's atomic watchdog censured Iran for not complying with obligations meant to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon. Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Aragchi said Saturday the nuclear talks were 'unjustifiable' after Israel's strikes. His comments came during a call with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. A Minnesota lawmaker and her husband were shot and killed in their home early on Saturday by someone posing as a police officer, and a second lawmaker and his wife were wounded in what Governor Tim Walz described as 'targeted political violence.' Former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her spouse were killed in their Brooklyn Park home, while state Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette, although shot multiple times, were taken to the hospital and underwent surgery. Authorities were actively searching for a suspect in the hours following the shootings. 'We must all, in Minnesota and across the country, stand against all forms of political violence," Walz said at a press conference on Saturday. Superintendent Drew Evans of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension stated that authorities were actively searching for the suspect. AP's sources stated that the motive has not yet been determined and that the investigation is still in its early stages. Hours after the shootings, hundreds of police and sheriff deputies from departments in the region, some in tactical gear with assault style weapons, were scattered through the town. Occasional police roadblocks were set up, where cars are stopped and searched for the investigation. After the attack, police in Minnesota officially cancelled the 'No Kings' protests, which are against President Trump's policies. Police have recovered writings that mention names of multiple lawmakers and other officials in the fake police car that they believe the suspect used in the shooting.