'No Kings Day' protests expected to draw millions of people across 1,800 cities
The protests are planned in cities across all 50 states and Puerto Rico as well as several countries abroad, including Colombia, Germany, Italy, Malawi, Portugal and the United Kingdom, according to organizers
This weekend, millions of people across the United States are set to attend over 1,800 "No King's Day" protests in response to President Donald Trump's military parade in Washington D. C. on Saturday.
The demonstrations are planned in cities across all 50 states and Puerto Rico, as well as several countries abroad, including Colombia, Germany, Italy, Malawi, Portugal and the UK, according to organisers. These protests are expected to be the largest demonstrations against the Trump administration since he took office in January.
The aim of these protests is to counter Trump's 250th anniversary U.S. Army parade scheduled to take place in the nation's capital on Saturday, which coincides with his 79th birthday. The event, which officials project will cost between $25-$45 million and cause upwards of $16 million in damages to the city streets, will see hundreds of military tanks and aircraft roll through the streets of Washington, D. C, reports the Mirror US.
Protest organisers said: "On June 14-Flag Day-President Trump wants tanks in the street and a made-for-TV display of dominance for his birthday. A spectacle meant to look like strength. But real power isn't staged in Washington. It rises up everywhere else,".
"No Kings is a nationwide day of defiance. From city blocks to small towns, from courthouse steps to community parks, we're taking action to reject authoritarianism-and show the world what democracy really looks like. We're not gathering to feed his ego. We're building a movement that leaves him behind."
Organisers stress that the demonstrations will remain peaceful and have cautioned participants against bringing weapons or instigating altercations with any objectors.
The most significant protests are anticipated in several major cities, including Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Houston, New York City, Philadelphia, and Phoenix. The organisers have clarified that there will be no protest in Washington D.C. to avoid potential conflicts with the MAGA movement.
"We want to create contrast, not conflict," Leah Greenberg, co-executive director of Indivisible, one of the partnering organisations for the protest, stated. "The choice to hold No Kings events in every city but D.C. is a deliberate choice to keep the focus on contrast, and not give the Trump administration an opportunity to stoke and then put the focus on conflict."
In the meantime, anti-ICE demonstrations that started on Friday in Los Angeles are continuing into their sixth day with no apparent conclusion. President Trump has ignited a fierce dispute with California Governor Gavin Newsom following his decision to send 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to LA to address the pro-immigration protesters.
The Pentagon revealed the deployment of troops to the city came at a cost of $134 million. Their arrival on Sunday was met with widespread criticism, with many arguing it disrupted the previously peaceful atmosphere.
California Governor Newsom's office responded by filing a motion to block Trump's decision to send in troops.
Nationwide, over 25 cities have been the site of anti-ICE protests, according to NBC News.
In a separate event, thousands are expected to attend a mass in Chicago on Saturday, where Pope Leo XIV will deliver an address to young people in his hometown.
The Women's March movement is also organizing a protest, dubbed 'Kick Out the Clowns,' with over 320 events planned and more than 13,000 people set to attend. On their website, the group stated, "June 14 is our chance to reflect the absurdity of the MAGA regime and the clowns who lead it."
This latest wave of civil unrest echoes the widespread protests seen in 2020, including the 'Black Lives Matter' movement against police brutality and systemic racism, as well as the 'Women's March' in response to the #MeToo movement during Trump's first inauguration in 2017.
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