Topline
As Washington, D.C. prepares to host a military parade on Saturday in honor of the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary—and President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday—large-scale protests have been planned across thousands of cities and towns nationwide to condemn Trump over his expanded Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids and a signature spending bill that estimates say could cut healthcare for millions of people.
Key Facts
According to ABC News, the Army has said the parade, which could cost up to $45 million, will include over 6,000 uniformed soldiers, dozens of tanks and military vehicles, eight marching bands, dozens of horses, two mules, a fireworks show and one dog.
The scheduled protests against the parade are part of a “national day of defiance” that civil rights groups like the American Civil Liberties Union, American Federation of Teachers, 50501, Human Rights Campaign and over 100 others are dubbing “No Kings,” according to a press release sent to Forbes.
The slew of groups involved in organizing the protests, planned in more than 2,000 cities and towns, will not be setting up a No Kings demonstration in Washington, D.C., noting on the organizers’ website that they will “make action everywhere else the story of America that day.”
Forbes has reached out to the White House for comment.
Where Will The Military Parade Take Place?
Army officials told the Associated Press an estimated 200,000 attendees are expected for the evening parade, which has reportedly been designated a National Special Security Event similar to a presidential inauguration. An official map for the event, found on the Army’s website, shows the parade will start by the Lincoln Memorial at around 6:30 p.m. and continue down Constitution Ave., before ending with Trump’s birthday festival at 8 p.m.
Where — And Why — Are People Protesting?
The largest rallies and marches are expected to take place in Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Phoenix, Houston, Atlanta and Charlotte, NC, according to an interactive map on the organizers’ website — but demonstrations are also expected in small towns and city blocks. The mass demonstrations come as the National Guard cracked down on anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles this week, where nearly 400 protesters were arrested. Throughout the week, protests spread across the country, including in New York, Philadelphia and Austin, where dozens of protesters were arrested by local police. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has blasted Trump for his crackdown, calling him a “president who wants to be bound by no law or constitution” in a televised address on Tuesday. A federal judge has since ordered Trump to return control of California’s National Guard troops to Newsom, which an appellate court temporarily blocked. In a Thursday post on X, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said his state “will not tolerate the lawlessness we’ve seen in LA” and that he deployed more than 5,000 Texas National Guard soldiers and over 2,000 state police officers to “maintain order at these protests.”
Tangent
Several celebrities have voiced their support for the No Kings protest, including Walmart heiress Christy Walton — one of few billionaires speaking out against Trump. On Sunday, Walton paid The New York Times to take out a full-page advertisement, calling on readers to “mobilize” on Saturday. The top of the ad reads “No Kings,” referencing the political movement.
Further Reading
Los Angeles Protests Live Updates: National Guard Has Detained Some Protesters (Forbes)
Billionaire Walmart Heiress Promotes Nationwide Anti-Trump Protests (Forbes)
