Trump No Kings protests military parade

Tanks, troops and marching bands assembled in the nation’s capital Saturday for a massive parade of American military power requested by President Donald Trump, a show that was met by thousands of Americans around the country displaying another kind of power: protest.

Hours before the parade honoring the Army’s 250th anniversary was set to start, demonstrators turned out in streets and parks around the nation to decry the Republican president as a dictator or would-be king. They criticized Trump for using the military to respond to those protesting his deportation efforts and for sending tanks, thousands of marching troops and military aircraft out for a show in the U.S. capital.

In Washington, anti-war protesters unfurled signs that said “Homes not drones” not far from a display of armored vehicles, helicopters and military-grade equipment on the National Mall set up to commemorate the Army’s birthday. Bowls of red, white and blue punch were ladled out to attendees, along with slices of a large Army-themed cake that uniformed officials cut with a sabre.

Vendors outside the festival sold gear marking the military milestone. Others hawked Trump-themed merchandise.

Trump has been wanting a military parade in Washington ever since he watched one in France with tanks, soldier and jets overhead in 2017. His dream is set to finally be realized on a day that coincides with his 79th birthday and Flag Day, after organizers tacked the parade onto the lineup for the Army celebration. Trump got regular updates on the planning and made requests for aircraft and hardware to capture the might of the military.

The Air Force also was expected to have a role, a U.S. official confirmed on Saturday. U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and F-22 fighter jets were to fly over the National Mall at the start of the parade — a late addition to the schedule at the specific request of the White House, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

It wasn’t clear why they were added, since the 250th birthday festival and parade are solely featuring Army units, vehicles and equipment; the Army does not have fighter jets — only the Air Force and Navy do.

Doug Haynes, a Navy veteran who voted for Trump, attended the daylong festival to celebrate the Army’s 250th birthday, but said that the parade scheduled for later “was a little over the top.”

Pointing at a nearby tank, Haynes said that having them roll down the street is a “very bold statement to the world, perhaps.”

The military procession was set to step off from the Lincoln Memorial later Saturday, under the threat of stormy weather and to the accompaniment of protests elsewhere in the city.

Trump brushed off the possibility of both disruptions, with a social media post Saturday morning that said the “great military parade” would be on “rain or shine.” The protests, he said earlier, “will be met with very big force.” Hours ahead of the parade, crowds of protesters with anti-Trump signs marched toward the White House, escorted by police vehicles and officers on bicycles. Some held a giant banner that read: “TRUMP MUST GO NOW.”

The parade has drawn criticism for its price tag of up to $45 million and the possibility that the lumbering tanks could tear up city streets. The Army has taken a variety of steps to protect the streets, including laying metal plates along the route.

About 6 in 10 Americans said Saturday’s parade was “not a good use” of government money. The vast majority of people, 78%, said they neither approve nor disapprove of the parade overall, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

The daylong display of America’s Army comes as Trump has shown his willingness to use the nation’s military might in ways other U.S. presidents have typically avoided, inviting an array of lawsuits and accusations that he is politicizing the military. In the last week, he has activated the California National Guard without the governor’s permission and dispatched the U.S. Marines to provide security during Los Angeles protests related to immigration raids, prompting a state lawsuit to stop the deployments.

Earlier this week, Trump…