The protests were planned to coincide with the military parade
State of the Art: The First Marines in the U.S. Marine Corps to Attend the 250th Birthday Parade on Washington, D.C.
“We respect, and will defend, the right to peacefully protest, but we will not tolerate violence or lawlessness in our state,” Kehoe said in a statement earlier this week. “In the event that help is needed to support law enforcement in protecting our citizens and communities, the state of Missouri will be taking a proactive approach.”
In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered National Guard troops to San Antonio and Austin ahead of expected protests. And in Missouri, Gov. Mike Kehoe activated that state’s National Guard as a “precautionary measure.”
Marines are expected to protect federal buildings, such as the Wilshire Federal Building, and those inside, they will be equipped with shields and batons, among other crowd control gear, but will not have arresting powers.
The events happened after the President sent Marines to Los Angeles and the National Guard was activated against both Governor Newsom and Mayor Bass. The first group of 700 Marines arrived on Friday.
The U.S. Army is celebrating its 250th anniversary on Saturday with a parade in Washington, D.C.
Trump’s “No Kings” protest: A demonstration of the United States’ sovereignty and the first president’s proposal for a large-scale military parade
Some protesters have clashed with the law enforcement and vandalized buildings, though protests have generally been peaceful. Police have arrested dozens of people across the country.
Demonstrations across the country flared up this week, including in Seattle, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York. There have been protests in Los Angeles all week in response to the administration ramping up immigration enforcement.
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.
“They are going to be met with very big force by those people who want to protest,” Trump said. And I haven’t even heard about a protest, but you know, this is people that hate our country.”
It is estimated to cost between $25 and 45 million, and will feature 6,000 Army soldiers, 49 aircraft, 128 vehicles, and 25 horses. The parade was not held during his first term because it was too expensive. He was inspired after attending the annual Bastille Day parade in France in 2017. That parade celebrates French mobs taking over the Bastille state prison in 1789.
According to the organizers’ website, the protesters are avoiding the nation’s capital “to draw a clear contrast between our people-powered movement and the costly, wasteful, and un-American birthday parade in Washington.”
About 2,000 “No Kings” protests are planned Saturday in response to the Trump administration’s plans to hold a large-scale military parade this weekend, an event organizer told NPR.
The demonstrations were put together by a coalition of more than 200 organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, American Federation of Teachers and the Communications Workers of America. Protests are scheduled in every state, but not in Washington, D.C. The organizers of the “No Kings” protest are encouraging D.C. residents to gather in Philadelphia. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States were written in Philadelphia.