Nationwide 'No Kings' protests are Saturday: Are there anti-Trump protests near Savannah?
June 14 is set to be a busy day with Flag Day, President Donald Trump's birthday, and now 'No Kings' Day.
This is a nationwide movement against Trump and his upcoming military parade, with events in Georgia and the rest of the U.S. Here's what we know:
Trump is planning a lavish military parade on Saturday which marks the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary and is Trump's 79th birthday. It will include 7,500 troops, 120 vehicles, 50 aircraft on the streets and in the skies of Washington, D.C. According to a planning document seen by USA Today, the parade and a series of related events in D.C. beginning next week will cost up to $45 million.
The public perception around this parade has been incredibly mixed. While some view this as a show of strength or national pride, Markus Schiller, the CEO of a German aerospace and security company, echoed what many of Trump's opponents feel:
"There's definitely a correlation between putting on a military parade and authoritarian regime...These parades are about sending message to other countries and also to domestic political rivals."
'No Kings' describes itself as a nationwide day of defiance by multiple groups including Indivisible, 50501, and Stand Up America.
"The flag doesn't belong to Donald Trump. It belongs to us. We're not watching history happen. We're making it," organizers said on the No Kings website. "On June 14th, we're showing up everywhere he isn't—to say no thrones, no crowns, no kings."
There are multiple No Kings events in the Savannah area. The one in Savannah proper is 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Thomas Square Park. There are also events on Hilton Head Island along William Hilton Pkwy from noon to 2 p.m. and at the Bluffton County Municipal Building from 4 to 6 p.m.
A little further out in Statesboro is another from 10 a.m. to noon in the middle of downtown.
Each event will look different depending on who is organizing it. Some may be simply flag-waving rallies, while others will be marches or full-on sign-waving protests. More than 20 are confirmed in Georgia:
Albany: "No Kings Albany, GA" 10 a.m. to noon.
Athens: "No Kings Athens" 5-7 p.m. at College Square.
Atlanta: "No Kings in Atlanta" 10 a.m. to noon at Liberty Plaza; "No Cake for False Kings Atlanta" 1-4 p.m. at Atlanta Station Bridge/Overpass.
Augusta: "No Kings Augusta" 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Brunswick: "No Kings Brunswick, GA" 3-8 p.m.
Columbus: "No Kings Columbus GA" 9-11 a.m. in front of the River Center in uptown Columbus.
Douglas: "No Kings Douglas" noon-2 p.m. at Trojan Lane intersection.
Fayetteville: "No Kings Fayetteville" 3-4:40 p.m. at Old Fayette County Courthouse.
Forsyth County: "No Kings Forsyth County" 1-2 p.m.
Gainesville: "No Kings in NE Georgia" 3-4 p.m. at Gainesville Square.
Greene County: "No Kings Greensboro GA" 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Griffin: "No Kings Nationwide Day of Defiance: Griffin" 10-11:30 a.m. at the Griffin Auditorium.
Macon: "Kick Out the Clowns | No Kings Day of Action Macon" 10 a.m. to noon at Poplar Street median between 2nd and 3rd streets.
McDonough: "No Kings Nationwide Day of Defiance; McDonough" 12:30-2 p.m. at MCDonough City Hall.
Savannah: "No Kings Savannah" 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Thomas Square Park.
Statesboro: "No Kings Statesboro" 10 a.m. to noon.
St. Mary's: "No Kings St. Mary's" 3-6 p.m. at St. Mary's Waterfront Pavilion.
Suwanee: "No Kings Gwinnett County" 2-4 p.m.
Tucker: "No Kings March Tucker" 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Tucker Recreation Center.
Valdosta: "Valdosta - No Kings Day of Defiance" 2-3 p.m.
Warner Robins: "No Kings Warner Robins" 12-2 p.m. at Perkins Park.
Waycross: "No Kings Waycross" 9-11 a.m. at the sidewalk area between Checkers and Hog and Bones facing Memorial Drive.
Woodstock: "No Kings in Woodstock: We Took the Same Oath" 2-4 p.m.
Kim Hjelmgaard of USA Today contributed to this article.
Miguel Legoas is a Deep South Connect Team Reporter for Gannett/USA Today. Find him on X and Instagram @miguelegoas and email at mlegoas@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: 'No Kings' protests on Trump birthday, military parade: Savannah events
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