The ‘No Kings’ demonstrations coincided with President Trump’s birthday and a military parade in Washington, D.C., commemorating the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary.
Organizers have stated that over five million individuals participated in anti-Trump demonstrations across the United States on Saturday. These ‘No Kings’ rallies protested the president’s strict stance on immigration and the reduction of government jobs.
These protests, billed as the “largest single-day mobilization” against the Republican president, occurred amidst ongoing riots in Los Angeles following a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation targeting undocumented immigrants. Protesters in Los Angeles have been setting fire to police vehicles and American flags, obstructing roadways, and engaging in confrontations with law enforcement, who have responded with tear gas and rubber bullets, resulting in numerous arrests and injuries on both sides.
The ‘No Kings’ organizers announced on their website a call for a “nationwide day of defiance rejecting authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics, and the militarization of our democracy” on Saturday. They asserted that events took place in more than 1,500 cities throughout all 50 states, including major metropolitan areas such as New York, Denver, Chicago, Austin, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles.
“They’ve defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services,” the statement read, in an apparent reference to the Trump administration.
Washington, D.C., hosted a military parade to commemorate the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary, rather than any large-scale demonstrations. President Trump, who oversaw the parade, also celebrated his 79th birthday on Saturday.
According to media reports, organizers stated, “Instead of allowing this birthday parade to be the center of gravity, we will make action everywhere else the story of America that day.”
While most rallies remained peaceful, clashes between protesters and police were reported in Los Angeles. In Portland, Oregon, law enforcement also used tear gas and rubber bullets when a splinter group of demonstrators targeted the local ICE building, resulting in at least two reported arrests.
In Salt Lake City, Utah, police arrested three individuals after gunfire erupted during a rally, leaving one person seriously wounded. Police Chief Brian Redd stated that the motive was currently unclear.
In Culpeper, Virginia, police took a man into custody after he drove his SUV into a crowd, injuring at least one participant.
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