The No Kings protests spread peacefully across dozens of cities, both in the US and abroad, in opposition to the Trump administration’s large military parade on Saturday (14). But they occurred against the backdrop of apparent political violence in Minnesota, where a state lawmaker was killed in her home.
Organizers estimated that more than 5 million people participated in more than 2,000 planned protests, according to spokesperson Eunic Ortiz. Events were also held in Germany and France, according to the AP. Although the protests were peaceful, police in Culpeper, Va., arrested a man who “intentionally accelerated his vehicle toward the dispersing crowd” at the end of a protest. One person was struck, but no one was injured, police said.
Organizers accuse the president of promoting the military parade as a display of dominance and a celebration of his 79th birthday, which also falls on Saturday. The Army had planned some kind of birthday commemoration for more than a year, but the parade was a recent addition. It will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army and coincides with Flag Day. A military parade in peacetime is rare in the US and has drawn criticism from Trump’s political rivals.
Tens of thousands marched peacefully in Philadelphia, where organizers held their main event, police said. Philadelphia was chosen as headquarters because “there is an indelible link between Philadelphia and the freedoms and ideals on which the country was founded,” said Joel Payne, spokesperson for MoveOn, one of the dozens of groups behind the No Kings protests.
Ezra Levin, co-founder and co-executive director of the nonprofit Indivisible, another No Kings coordinator, said the atmosphere at the event was upbeat. “What I saw today was a loud and peaceful display of First Amendment rights,” he told NPR.
The protests continued in Minnesota, despite organizers calling for the cancellation of all events in the state. “This decision comes in light of the current shelter-in-place order and the tragic shooting that targeted two elected officials and their spouses,” No Kings said in a press release. Despite the warnings, tens of thousands attended a protest at the Capitol, said Lt. Mike Lee, spokesperson for the Minnesota State Patrol, to MPR News.
Thousands participated in a protest in Dallas, one of more than 60 planned in Texas, KERA reported. In Alaska, the theme was “The only king I want is the king salmon,” Alaska Public Media reported.
There was some sense of unease among protesters, some of whom turned off their phones and avoided posting on social media.
“It seems like there’s retaliation against people exercising their right to protest against this administration,” said protester Ali Schoenberger of Sacramento. “So I think it’s important to protect my fellow protesters today and not expose them or even have this on my phone.”
Despite a forecast of 41 degrees Celsius in Green Valley, Ariz., a few hundred people showed up, said Martha Jane Gipson, a retired teacher.
Trump was asked about the protests on Thursday and told reporters: “I don’t feel like a king. I have to go through hell to get approvals.”
Separately, the U.S. Capitol Police said they arrested 60 protesters on Friday night after some tore down barricades and ran toward the Rotunda steps. They say all 60 will be charged with illegal demonstration and crossing police lines. Additional charges include assault on an officer and resisting arrest. The groups behind the protests did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The No Kings demonstrations were organized by a coalition of more than 200 organizations, including MoveOn, American Civil Liberties Union, American Federation of Teachers, and Communications Workers of America. Protests were not planned in Washington, D.C., where the military parade took place.
According to the organizers’ website, protesters avoided the nation’s capital “to draw a clear contrast between our people-powered movement and the expensive, wasteful, and un-American birthday parade in Washington”.
Source: npr.org By Clare Marie Schneider, Ayana Archie