As a military parade rolls through the US capital of Washington DC on Saturday — President Donald Trump’s birthday — millions of Americans are expected to protest in what organisers predict will be the strongest display of opposition to Trump’s administration since he took office in January.
More than 2000 protests across all 50 states are planned through the No Kings movement, which organisers say seeks to reject “authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics, and the militarisation of our democracy”.
The mobilisation is a direct response to Trump’s military parade in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the US Army — which coincides with his 79th birthday.
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In recent days, all eyes have been on Los Angeles, where Trump has deployed the National Guard and Marines, in response to massive protests decrying immigration sweeps — an extraordinary move protest organisers say has only served to mobilise participants to speak out against authoritarianism.
Demonstrators have since been protesting controversial raids and deportations in cities across the nation, including New York, Seattle, Chicago, Austin, Las Vegas and Washington DC, while the administration has doubled down on its display of military force against its own citizens.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has suggested the order used to federalise the National Guard to Los Angeles could make way for a similar response to protests in other states. And Texas Governor Greg Abbott deployed the state’s National Guard this week ahead of planned protests, including a No Kings event in San Antonio on Saturday.
In Missouri, Governor Mike Kehoe activated his state’s National Guard on Thursday “as a precautionary measure in reaction to recent instances of civil unrest across the country”.
“We respect, and will defend, the right to peacefully protest, but we will not tolerate violence or lawlessness in our state,” the Republican governor said in a statement.
Following the Hands Off! and 50501 protests this spring, Saturday’s demonstrations won’t be the first nationwide rejection of Trump’s policies. But organisers expect them to be the largest.
“Even conservative estimates say that 3.5 million people turned out for the Hands Off mobilisation in April. That’s already 1 per cent of the population of the US,” co-executive director of Indivisible, the organisation backing the No Kings movement, Ezra Levin said.
“No Kings is on track to exceed that by millions more. This is historic.”
Diverting attention
Officials have estimated Saturday’s parade, which will flaunt 7 million pounds of machines and weaponry through the nation’s capital on the president’s birthday, could cost up to $US45 million ($AU69 million). Protest organisers are keeping the planned rallies out of Washington DC, hoping to pull focus away from the spectacle.
Instead, a flagship rally will be held in Philadelphia — with 60,000 to 80,000 protesters expected to attend Saturday. The Philadelphia Police Department said it is ready for crowds at LOVE Park, the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and Arch Street.
In New York City, authorities say they’re prepared for major demonstrations.
“New York City is also the greatest democracy of the globe and part of our great democracy is the ability to peacefully protest,” Mayor Eric Adams said at a news conference on Friday.
“We expect large numbers of New Yorkers to be out in our streets, and the 34,000 members of the New York City Police Department, led by our team, will be protecting everyone,” he said.
“We want to keep all New Yorkers safe, whether protesting or going about your everyday life.”
He added he had assured the federal government “We got this” in regard to possible National Guard deployment to the city.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, whose city has become the nexus of intense law enforcement amid ongoing anti-ICE protests, called on protesters to demonstrate peacefully on Saturday, cautioning them not to create “pretext to roll out troops”.
No date has been set to end the curfew in place in a small pocket of the city that has seen unrest, Bass said.
Across the country, No Kings events will take place in all 50 states — including some with dozens of local events planned. More than 200 protest events are expected in California. And organisers expect especially big turnouts in Phoenix, Houston, Atlanta, Charlotte and Chicago, according to the No Kings website.
Other groups are planning additional protests across the US, meaning the turnout against the Trump administration could be even larger than projected.
On Wednesday evening, No Kings organisers spoke to more than 4,000 people on a Zoom call — many of them local hosts for Saturday’s protests — preparing them for the intense weekend ahead.
“If you show up on site, and you feel completely overwhelmed by the numbers — first of all, congratulations,” one organiser said.
The leaders gave advice for the hosts and those serving as “marshals”, people designated to help address safety concerns and keep the peace on Saturday.
Attendees emphasised safety and non-violence while role-playing scenarios with hypothetical characters — for example, a participant frustrated that not enough action is being taken to get the group’s message out and a right-wing protester there to harass attendees.
Among their tips for Saturday: deescalate, empathise, listen, never touch a police officer.
Sheriff: ‘We will kill you’ if protests get out of hand
With political tensions rising after controversial ICE raids and the deployment of National Guard members to demonstration sites, many cities are already seeing protest activity ahead of Saturday.
Meanwhile, local and state authorities have been doing their own prep work, with officials warning violence by protesters this weekend will not be tolerated.
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, who characterised the expected protesters as “radical anti-American groups”, warned those who attack law enforcement or destroy property will be prosecuted.
In Florida, Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said peaceful protests are part of democracy, and people are invited to express their opinions. But he said anyone who breaks the law will face consequences.
“If you throw a brick, a firebomb, or point a gun at one of our deputies, we will be notifying your family where to collect your remains because we will kill you,” Ivey said.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said drivers who are threatened won’t be held responsible if they hit protesters.
“If you’re driving on one of those streets and a mob comes and surrounds your vehicle and threatens you, you have a right to flee for your safety,” DeSantis told podcaster Dave Rubin. “So, if you drive off and you hit one of these people, that’s their fault for impinging on you.”
In Chicago, Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson has said his city will protect people’s right to assemble while ensuring residents’ day-to-day lives aren’t disrupted.
Protest organisers say they have been in touch with local officials ahead of Saturday’s events, in an effort to make sure the gatherings run safely and smoothly.
The aim, they emphasise, is not violence, but rather to send a clear message to the president on his birthday: “In America, we don’t do kings.”