Parade live: Trump appears at military display in DC

Times

10 hours ago

The parade has moved into its Vietnam War section, led by contemporary troops from the 1st Cavalry Division. The unit fought in 13 named campaigns during the conflict. Several aircraft used in the war, including the Cobra helicopter, fly above.
The US army in Vietnam reached its peak strength of 364,200 soldiers in January 1969. By 1973 it had fully withdrawn from the nation after its failure to defeat the Soviet-backed North Vietnamese forces. The war is considered one of the US army's most humiliating military losses.
From Katy Balls in Washington
Loud cheers for President Trump from the crowd in DC as he takes to the stage on his 79th birthday. Officially, however, this is about the armed forces's 250th birthday and that's why the majority of attendees I have spoken to so far say they are here first and foremost.
As the parade gets under way, the crowds are applauding the soldiers — of whom many are dressed in costumes from the First World War to the Civil War to mark the United States's major conflicts. Now the tanks have started to roll in — leading to cries of 'oh my god' from enthusiastic attendees. Light rain has started to fall but so far it is not dampening spirits.
The Second World War segment of the parade is now beginning its march down the National Mall. It includes the iconic Ford Jeep, which was used for nearly every military activity, and the M4 Sherman tank, renowned for its reliability on the battlefield. The M4 remained in American service from 1942 to 1957 and continued to serve with US allies into the 1970s.
In mobilising for the Second World War, the US army expanded in size from 174,000 in 1939 to nearly 11 million by the war's end.
B25 bombers, which served in all theatres of the war, fly above as President Trump gets to his feet to salute a unit of troops passing in front of him.
Troops on horseback, representing the Civil War era, are up next. The unit is followed by a white wagon. This segment of the parade is made up of soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division, which was established in 1917 and first served during World War One.
The US Army Parachute Team, known as the Golden Knights, have taken to the skies above the parade. Smoke billows out from behind them as they twist and turn against a backdrop of grey clouds.
The camera pans to President Trump, who is smiling and clapping. Today's event realises one of the president's long-standing ambitions to stage a military parade.
A marching band is leading the procession made up of trombones, trumpets and percussion drums.
Behind them are troops from the 3rd Infantry Regiment dressed in period uniforms from the Revolutionary War and armed with muskets used by soldiers in the late 18th century. Most soldiers carried smoothbore muskets, not rifles, during the conflict. The rifle was more accurate, but took longer to load and could not mount a bayonet.
Originally established in 1784, the 3rd Infantry Regiment is the army's oldest infantry unit. Its troops went on to serve in several US conflicts, including the Mexican War and World War Two.
The parade has begun 30 minutes ahead of schedule due to the threat of heavy rain and thunderstorms. The umbrellas are up as light rain starts to fall.
With the national anthem now over, we're moving into the first era-themed 'package' of the parade: the Revolutionary War.
The parade is officially under way as members of the US army cross Arlington Memorial Bridge and begin to march down Constitution Avenue, which runs in between the White House and the Washington Monument.
The crowd cheers and a band plays while several senior members of the army and the cabinet move into their place on a central viewing platform.
President Trump has now arrived.
President Trump is en route from the White House to the parade, which will be beginning shortly. He's joined by the first lady Melania Trump. The president, who turns 79 today, is also due to give a speech around 8.30pm.
From Katy Balls in Washington DC
It's one hour to go until the festivities get under way but the crowd is already gathering here in the mall in Washington DC. While the attendees so far are mostly a mix of military veterans and supporters plus Make America Great Again enthusiasts, some dissenting voices have made it in.
Tim Pohle, 60, is here as a peaceful protester — with a placard that reads 'Dystopia — we're not going to have a country anymore'. He says he supports the military but is unhappy with the idea of a military parade: 'I just don't feel it is an American thing to do. It's the kind of thing you would see in Soviet Russia or North Korea.'
While Pohle says most attendees have been civil, one man interrupts to shout 'Trump is my king' in our direction.
Minnesota authorities say they believe the man suspected of shooting two Democratic state politicians, one of them fatally, is trying to flee the area.
Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said authorities are looking for 57-year-old Vance Boelter and that he had not yet been caught.
Authorities displayed a photo of Boelter wearing a tan cowboy hat that was taken in Minneapolis on Saturday and asked the public to report sightings.
Evans said investigators have obtained video as well. Speaking at a press conference, he did not give details on a possible motive.
Military parades are a rare sight in the US. Since the end of World War Two, the nation has staged only one major military parade: the National Victory Celebration, held in 1991 after America's successful interventions in the Gulf War.
However, military displays are far more common elsewhere. In Britain, Trooping the Colour is held every year to celebrate the birthday of the monarch. It involves gun salutes, cavalry processions and music.
Russia's Victory Day parade, which marks the Soviet Union's victory over the Nazis, is also held every year. In last month's parade, nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles rolled through Red Square, in Moscow, while rocket launchers and flamethrower systems used in Ukraine were also on display.
France marks Bastille Day, the national day of France, with a military parade that President Trump described as 'one of the greatest parades I've ever seen'. North Korea holds several military parades each to celebrate various holidays.
While today's protests have remained largely peaceful, there have been some reports of confrontations between demonstrators and police.
In one heavily Hispanic neighbourhood of northern Atlanta, tear gas was thrown into a crowd of protesters who were headed toward a highway.
A chemical irritant has also been sprayed at demonstrators attempting to move past a line of officers with bikes in Charlotte, North Carolina. It appears that the confrontation took place as several hundred people remained in the area after the the city's official rally ended at 1pm.
Protesters at President Trump's parade marking 250 years of the American military held placards displaying the numbers '86 47' on Saturday, a symbol of resistance that has been associated with violence.
The significance of the numbers was highlighted in May when James Comey, the director of the FBI between 2013 and 2017, was put under investigation after posting an image to Instagram of sea shells on a beach spelling out the four digits.The protests on Saturday were organised by 'No Kings', a national movement made up of Americans who oppose the Trump administration.
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Authorities in Texas have warned of 'credible threats' made against legislators planning to attend protests in Austin.
An alert was sent out by the state's Department of Public Safety (DPS) on Saturday afternoon — just hours after two Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota were shot in their homes.
The Texan DPS said it was working with 'all local, state and federal law enforcement partners to ensure the safety of our citizens and state property, as well as to protect individuals exercising their constitutional rights to assemble and free speech'.
Dan Patrick, the lieutenant governor of Texas, said: 'I urge everyone to take appropriate precautions and heed the warning of Texas DPS until the threat is no longer active.'
Protests have been planned across several cities in Texas, a staunchly Republican state.
Protests in Minnesota have been cancelled after a Democratic state lawmaker and her husband were assassinated on Saturday in an attack described by officials as politically motivated.
Police said they are searching for Vance Boelter, 57, after Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot dead in their homes. Boelter is also suspected of shooting Democratic Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. The couple survived and have since undergone surgery.
It's believed Boelter gained access to the politicians' homes by impersonating a police officer.
'Given the targeted shootings of state lawmakers overnight, we are asking the public to not attend today's planned demonstrations across Minnesota out of an abundance of caution,' State Patrol posted on social media on Saturday morning.
President Trump has threatened a strong response to the 'No Kings' protests being held across the US today.
Tens of thousands have already taken to the streets of New York, with protests also under way in Washington and Los Angeles, where unrest has rocked the city's Downtown district since last weekend. Demonstrators are out in full force in Springfield, Ohio, Seattle, Nashville and Miami.
Earlier this week, Trump warned: 'People that hate our country … they will be met with very heavy force.'
Despite the name of the 'No King' protests, which imply Trump is behaving like an aspiring autocrat, the president said earlier this week: 'I don't feel like a king … I have to go through hell to get stuff approved.'