Anti-Trump protesters rally across US ahead of president's military parade
Update:
Date: 21:12 BST
Title: Welcome to our live coverage
Content: Good afternoon from Washington DC, the site of today's military parade.
Hours ahead of the event in the nation's capital, thousands of people have gathered in cities across the US to protest against President Donald Trump.
The demonstrations, organised by a group called "No Kings", were billed as a nationwide day of defiance against his policies.
Meanwhile, Washington DC is getting ready for a military parade celebrating the 250th birthday of the US Army. The event coincides with the president's 79th birthday.
Over the past few days, we've watched military equipment, including tanks, roll into town, with roadblocks going up along the parade route. Trump's critics have raised concerns over the cost of the event.
We've seen the day's schedule, which, parade aside, involves musical guests and an address by the president. Stay with us as we bring you all that and more as it all gets underway
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The Herald Scotland
26 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Trump gets a military parade for his birthday as US president turns 79
Members of the president's family will be in town for the occasion, two sources familiar with the president's plans said. Trump's birthday and the parade fall on Father's Day weekend, which is the following day. Rain or shine? Trump offers update on weather's impact on military parade The parade that could cost the federal government as much as $45 million to put on is also expected to draw protesters, as critics of the administration participate in "No Kings" Day demonstrations across the country. Organizers say they expect millions of Americans to turn out across the country at the protests, some 2,000 of which are taking place nationwide, to show their displeasure with Trump's expansive use of executive authority. The president came under heavy scrutiny this week after he sent the National Guard and marines to Los Angeles amid protests. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and other national Democrats criticized the move as authoritarian. Trump turns 79 Trump and former President Joe Biden's ages were a flashpoint in last year's presidential campaign. Biden quit the Democratic ticket after several episodes, including a debate with Trump, raised doubts about his ability to do the job. Biden turned 82 in November. He was the oldest president in American history. In January, Trump became the oldest U.S. president to be inaugurated, at age 78. Like Biden, he will be 82 at the end of his term. His White House physician, Sean Barbabella, said in April that Trump "remains in excellent health," due to his "active lifestyle," including public appearances and "frequent victories in golf events." Thunderstorms and rain are expected Saturday. Trump frequently plays golf over the weekend but was not expected to on his birthday. The military parade comes amid an explosive conflict between Israel and Iran. Trump also has a trip to Canada on Sunday to meet with leaders of the world's top economies. A 'grand' parade The president's birthday-themed parade was eight years in the making. He's been floating the idea since before his first inauguration. Trump told the Washington Post in 2017 that he wanted to show off America's military at parades in Washington, D.C. and New York. Trump drew inspiration from the Bastille Day celebration that takes place in Paris every July 14. The president and first lady Melania Trump attended the military parade as guests of French President Emmanuel Macron in the summer of 2017. Trump's inspiration: Trump's getting his military parade. Here's what they look like from France to Russia He told Macron later that year that he wanted to have a "really great parade to show our military strength" after what he witnessed during his visit to France. "We may do something like that on July 4th in Washington," Trump told Macron. "We're going to have to try and top it." That year Macron rolled down the Champs-Elysees in a military jeep. Trump will be watching his parade on Constitution Avenue from a viewing stand. According to America250, which is organizing the event, veterans, active-duty troops, wounded warriors and Gold Star Families will be in attendance, in addition to members of the general public. As many as 120 vehicles, including Abrams tanks, Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles and military helicopters are expected to be part of the display of American military hardware. "We want to show off a little bit," Trump said in a June 10 speech at Fort Bragg. Bringing up events commemorating WWII that recently took place in Europe and America's role in the war, Trump said, "France was celebrating. Really, they were all celebrating. The only one that doesn't celebrate is the USA, and we're the ones that won the war." "We're going to celebrate on Saturday," Trump added. "And we're going to celebrate from now on."
The Herald Scotland
26 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Where are the 'No Kings' protests and demonstrations being held
All of the "No Kings" marches, rallies and demonstrations were deliberately organized to coincide with the Army's "Grand Military Parade and Celebration, which also falls on Trump's 79th birthday and Flag Day. Administration officials insist it is a coincidence that the parade falls on Trump's birthday. "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," according to a statement posted on the official "No Kings" event website. The "No Kings" demonstrations are expected to be the largest and most numerous protests since Trump's second term began, dwarfing the Hands Off! protests in early April that drew as many as 1 million Americans to the streets at more than 1,000 rallies. "They've defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services," reads a statement from the official "No Kings" event website. "The corruption has gone too. far. No thrones. No crowns. No kings." Here is how to check where "No Kings" demonstrations will take place. When, where are the 'No Kings' protests taking place? The "No Kings" protests will take place on June 14 in 1,800 communities across the country. A map of "No Kings" protest locations, down to the exact location and timeframe, can be seen below. 'No Kings' protest locations Contributing Sarah D. Wire, USA TODAY
The Herald Scotland
26 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Nationwide 'No Kings' protests set to begin Saturday, June 14: Updates
About 2,000 protests and rallies are planned, but organizers have drawn special attention to Philadelphia - where the Second Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence - and Los Angeles, where President Donald Trump called in the National Guard and the Marines after some protests over immigration enforcement raids spiraled into violence. "I think we will see the largest peaceful single day protests that this country has seen certainly since the first Trump term," said Indivisible cofounder Ezra Levin, one of the organizers of the "No Kings" protest effort. Though other groups have plans to protest in Washington, D.C., there aren't any "No Kings" protests planned in the city, where Trump will hold a parade Saturday evening to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. The anniversary also falls on Flag Day and Trump's 79th birthday. Are people protesting more than usual? 'Jaw-dropping' number planned on Trump's birthday The "No Kings" protests are planned to oppose what demonstrators see as Trump's power grab. The number of planned events is nearly double that of the April 5 "Hands Off" protest that saw millions of Americans turn out in big and small cities nationwide. The planned "No Kings" protests follow a wave of more impromptu immigration protests that at times spiraled in to chaos. National attention and scrutiny focused on small parts of Los Angeles that saw looting, violence and cars lit on fire. Protesters fear crackdown: But demonstrators stick to plans to rally in DC before June 14 Army parade Following a high-profile standoff with California authorities, Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have suggested that more national guard units could be deployed in response to the protests. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has already deployed over 5,000 Texas National Guard troops, but more than a half dozen Republican and Democratic governors told USA TODAY they will not have the National Guard on standby. The largest protest effort is expected in Philadelphia. Major protests are also scheduled in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York, Phoenix and Los Angeles, while sympathetic protests have cropped up in other countries. The USA TODAY Network will be covering protests around the nation on Saturday, June 14. Read coverage from: The largest "No Kings" protest on June 14 is expected to take place in Philadelphia as a nod to the country's history and to avoid accusations that protesters are opposing the Army parade in the nation's capital, organizers have said. "We made that choice to not feed into any narrative that Trump might want that we're counter protesting him directly or give him the opportunity to crack down on protesters," Levin said. Read more: 'No Kings' organizers say Philadelphia set to be largest June 14 protest. Why? The Philadelphia protest begins at LOVE Park at the corner of Arch Street & North 15th Street at noon. At 12:30 p.m. the crowd plans to march down the Ben Franklin Parkway to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where several people will speak. It is expected to end at about 3 p.m. The Association of the United States Army is also hosting its own celebration for the 250th anniversary of the Army in Philadelphia over three days that started Friday, for which the city closed parts of several roads and altered bus routes. Sherri King woke up at 6 a.m. to head to the Philadelphia protest from her home in Elkton, Maryland. "I just think it's important because I'm an American citizen and we have to live by the constitution, and Trump is not obeying the constitution from what I see," King said while finishing her protest sign in LOVE Park. "We don't need no kings in America. We have a democracy," King said. Much of the central and eastern parts of the country are expected to see showers and some storms on Saturday, with the chance for severe thunderstorms affecting protests in parts of the northern High Plains states of Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota and Nebraska. Forecasters said flash flooding is a concern in Virginia and North Carolina on Saturday. Meanwhile, parts of the West are expecting a hot, dry heat with temperatures up to 110s in the Desert Southwest. Read more. Contributing: Kaitlyn McCormick, Cherry Hill Courier-Post
