Tens of thousands of Americans join protest rallies ahead of Trump's military parade
Largest outpouring of protests against Trump since his return to power
Tens of thousands of Americans attended rallies on Saturday to protest President Donald Trump's aggressive approach in major cities from New York to Atlanta to Los Angeles, on a day marred by the assassination of a Democratic lawmaker in Minnesota.
The protests marked the largest outpouring of opposition to Trump's presidency since he returned to power in January, and came the same day that thousands of military personnel, vehicles and aircraft will march through and fly over Washington, DC, in a parade celebrating the US Army's 250th anniversary.
Saturday is also Trump's 79th birthday.
The Republican president has ordered National Guard troops and US Marines to Los Angeles, a heavily Democratic city - a deployment that California Governor Gavin Newsom has challenged in court.
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Anti-Trump groups planned nearly 2,000 demonstrations of varying sizes across the country to coincide with the parade. Many are taking place under the theme "No Kings," asserting that no individual is above the law.
All planned "No Kings" protests in Minnesota were canceled following that Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said was the "politically motivated assassination" of one Democratic lawmaker and wounding of a second.
"The ghastly targeted shootings of Sen Hoffman and Rep. Hortman are not just horrific—they're acts of political extremism and an assault on our democracy itself," said Democratic US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. "This is where hate and violent rhetoric lead."
Trump also condemned the shooting, saying, "Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America."
People heading into Washington for the parade encountered a massive security presence, with some 18.5 miles (30 km) of 8-foot (2.4 m)-high black fencing, much of it reinforced with concrete traffic barriers, cordoning off streets and surrounding landmarks including the Washington Monument.
The celebrations will cost the US Army between $25 million and $45 million, US officials have told Reuters. That includes the parade itself as well as the cost of moving equipment and housing and feeding the troops.
Critics have called the parade an authoritarian display of power that is wasteful, especially given Trump has said he wants to slash costs throughout the federal government.
FESTIVE ATMOSPHERE
A festive atmosphere had taken hold in front of City Hall in Los Angeles where hundreds of people had gathered an hour before the main No Kings protest was set to begin. A drum circle featuring Native American dancers was animating the crowd, where scores were waving American and Mexican flags, amid a heavy law enforcement presence.
Sergio Lopez, 44, a gay man and Navy veteran who served in Iraq from 2002 until 2004 and was brought to the US from Mexico at the age of 1, said he was at the demonstration because he felt under attack on several fronts.
"I didn't fight for my country to be stripped of my rights and to be targeted by my own government," Lopez said. "We're supposed to be the best country in the world. How can we be that if we are targeting the immigrants who helped build this country?"
In a sign of the widespread nature of the protests, small groups of mostly middle-aged and elderly people holding signs and protesting Trump were scattered at intersections across affluent northwest Washington and its Maryland suburbs - urging motorists to honk their horns in support and holding signs saying things including "Honor Troops (not Trump)" and "No Kings" and "No Kings since 1776."
At least one organization, RefuseFascism.org, has a permit to hold a march in central Washington that will culminate in a rally opposite the White House. Trump has warned people against protesting at the parade itself, saying that "they're going to be met with very big force."
Members of the far-right Proud Boys appeared at an Atlanta "No Kings" protest, wearing the group's distinctive black and yellow colors.
The protests, and any response by law enforcement agencies, will form a contrasting backdrop to the day-long celebration of the US Army's history, which will seek to honor different eras of military history with uniforms and military weaponry from those periods.
While the Army has said the parade will take place come rain or shine, weather forecasts for Saturday evening show the potential for heavy thunderstorms in the Washington area.
Defenders of the plans say the Army's 250th anniversary is a unique event that deserves an outsized celebration.
The display of US military hardware will take place shortly after one of the nation's closest allies, Israel, launched a barrage of strikes across Iran, which has threatened a harsh response.
RARE SPECTACLE
Military parades in the United States are rare. Other countries usually stage them to celebrate victories in battle or showcase military might.
In 1991, tanks and thousands of troops paraded through Washington to celebrate the ousting of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's forces from Kuwait in the Gulf War.
Thousands of agents, officers and specialists will be deployed from law enforcement agencies from across the country and drones operated by the Secret Service will keep watch overhead.
The Federal Aviation Administration will close down arrivals and departures at Washington's Reagan National Airport during the peak of the celebration.
The US Army has brought nearly 7,000 troops into Washington, along with 150 vehicles, including more than 25 M1 Abrams tanks, 28 Stryker armored vehicles, four Paladin self-propelled artillery vehicles, and artillery pieces including the M777 and M119.
The flyover will include Apache and Black Hawk helicopters along with Chinooks. Older aircraft like the World War Two-era B-25 bomber and P-51 Mustang will also take part.
