No Kings vs. Bastille Day: Why Did President Donald Trump During his First Presidential Campaign Attempt Lose His Mansion?
In a document with guidance for participants and organizers, “No Kings” stressed that participants should practice nonviolence and de-escalate any conflicts with outside parties.
Trump said Tuesday, “By the way, for those people that want to protest, they’re going to be met with very big force. And I haven’t even heard about a protest, but you know, this is people that hate our country.”
Trump wanted to hold the parade during his first term, but it was scrapped because it was deemed too expensive. He was so inspired by attending the Bastille Day parade in France, that he went to see it again. The Bastille state prison in 1789 was taken over by French mobs.
The organizers say that the protesters are avoiding the nation’s capital to draw a contrast between their movement and the expensive, wasteful, and un-American birthday parade in Washington.
The No Kings demonstrations were put together by a coalition of more than 200 organizations, including MoveOn, the American Civil Liberties Union, American Federation of Teachers and the Communications Workers of America. Protests were not planned in Washington, D.C., where the military parade was held.
The group said that in order to pull attention away from the display of military grandeur, No Kings would specifically not demonstrate in Washington on Saturday, and instead host their largest demonstration in Philadelphia – the city known as the birthplace of America.
The 50th Anniversary of the U.S. Army: A Shameful Effort of President Trump and the Establishment of the Military
The U.S. Army will celebrate its 250th anniversary on Saturday with a massive military parade overtaking the streets and skies of Washington, D.C., and thousands of service members participating in the big-budget spectacle.
The anniversary plans have been in place for at least a year before Trump got a second term. The parade feature adding tens of million of dollars to the budget left planners scrambling to prepare the city and military for the already large-scale event.
The parade is part of a larger slate of events, all taking place around the National Mall. Beginning at 11 a.m. ET, the Army will host a public festival with military demonstrations and live music, before the parade begins at 6:30 p.m.
Democrats have criticized the showcase as a misuse of funds since the parade was announced.
“To use the military in this manner when Donald Trump is slashing veterans’ benefits to aggrandize himself, to communicate to the country his control over the military, is just another shameful act of this administration,” said Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California.
The country does not have any major military parades like the one that will take place this weekend in the midst of peace.
Already, the weekend festivities have racked up an expected price tag of between $25 million and $45 million, according to Army spokesperson Heather J. Hagan. Repairs are planned due to possible damage from tanks rolling on city streets.
The U.S. Military Parade and the Presidential Reconciling Between Democracy and Corruption: a case study of President Donald Trump
Trump is expected to participate in the parade as a spectator, but he is scheduled to receive a folded American flag, according to Army spokesman Steve Warren. Such a presentations are usually reserved for the families of fallen soldiers.
The main road in the city was suddenly closed off on Tuesday night as trucks carrying tanks and armored cars drove through, said Peirce Economakis, a bartender in the city. He says the whole scene probably lasted about 30 minutes.
It’s a bit strange. He said that it was a little depressing. A lot of people don’t know that people actually live here and it’s not a playground.
Reagan National Airport has said it will close for several hours because of the military flyover, potentially disrupting flights on Saturday.
The city has put steel plates along the parade route to protect it from damage. D.C. Mayor Mariel Bowser is worried that heavy equipment and tanks can rip up roads and require millions of dollars in repairs.
The last major military parade was in 1991, also in D.C., to celebrate the end of the Gulf War and commemorate fallen soldiers from that conflict. Joshua Zeitz, a historian and contributing editor for Politico magazine, said that even that move was controversial.
“He’s really reinventing the presidency as something that doesn’t resemble what it has traditionally in American history, and the military parade is part of that,” Zeitz says.
“In democracies, military parades are meant to commemorate, whereas in authoritarian regimes they’re meant to intimidate and so you can think of, you know, the Soviet Union or more recently in China or North Korea,” Frakes says.
“On June 14 – Flag Day – President Trump wants tanks in the street and a made-for-TV display of dominance for his birthday,” No Kings said in a statement on their website. It was meant to look like strength. But real power isn’t staged in Washington. It starts to rise everywhere else.
The group said they would take action everywhere else in America on the same day as the birthday parade, to reject strongman politics and corruption.
As of Friday afternoon, the National Parks Service had approved a protest permit for just one demonstration related to the parade, but other unsanctioned protests could pop up.
No Kings Protests on Trump’s Birthday: Three Takeaways from the Military Parade and the Army’s First Amendment Right, and he’s Been There
Trump is already facing sharp blowback for his decision to deploy the military to Los Angeles amid protests against ICE immigration raids. He has vowed to take action against demonstrators at Saturday’s events.
The parade stirred up controversy for what opponents view as a politicization of the nation’s armed forces and a break from U.S. democratic norms, and sparked an organized No Kings protest movement across the country on Saturday.
Mike Davis, a 30-year Army serviceman who was at the parade as a spectator said he was happy that the military was ready for a big bash.
“The last time we’ve had a military parade of any sorts, I recall, is the Gulf War,” Davis said. “So, it’s been a long time and what better way to celebrate it than the 250th?”
He backed people’s first amendment rights to speak out, but he felt the protest cast a pall on the celebration.
“The Army keeps us free, you make us strong, and tonight you’ve made all Americans very proud,” he said. Every other country celebrates their victories. It’s about time America followed suit. That’s what we’re doing tonight.”
Source: 3 takeaways from the military parade and No Kings protests on Trump’s birthday
No Kings: The No-Front Protest for President Newsom’s Dialogue on Border Walls and the “Fake News”
“It’s a vulgar display,” Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California said during a news conference on Friday. It’s the kind of thing you see with dictatorships around the world that are weak.
Organizers estimated that more than 5 million people participated in more 2,000 planned protests, according to spokesperson Eunic Ortiz. Police in Culpeper, Va., arrested a man who drove into a crowd at the end of a protest. The person was hit, but no one was hurt.
Ezra Levin, co-founder and co-executive director of the nonprofit Indivisible, another No Kings coordinator, said the atmosphere at the event was joyful.
KERA reported that thousands of people were at a Dallas protest. In Alaska, the theme was, “The only king I want is king salmon,” Alaska Public Media reported.
Shahera Hyatt of Sacramento made signs for her local event that read, “From Palestine to Mexico, border walls have got to go,” and “ICE, you’re fired.”
The protester said that there’s a vendetta against people who are speaking up against the administration. I feel like I have to protect my fellow protesters today, and not expose them or have it on my phone.
“I am completely terrified of what’s going on in our country,” said protester Margo Ross of Watsonville, Calif. “I believe from the beginning it’s been a coup and a fascist overthrow, and I keep thinking, ‘Well, it can’t get worse.’ It gets worse and worse.
The Capitol Police arrested 60 protesters on Friday night after they pushed down barriers and ran to the steps of the Rotunda. They say all 60 will be charged with unlawful demonstration and crossing a police line. The additional charges include the assault on the police officer. The groups behind the protests didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.