Americans are taking to the streets on Saturday to protest United States President Donald Trump’s policies in thousands of locations across the country.
The “No Kings” protests will coincide with a military parade in Washington, DC, marking the US Army’s 250th anniversary, and with Trump’s 79th birthday.
The demonstrations are planned after days of protests against immigration arrests in multiple US cities.
What are the No Kings protests?
Protesters planning to take part in the No Kings demonstrations said they oppose the Trump administration.
The organisers’ website said the administration has “defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services”.
Since Trump’s inauguration, the administration has sent immigrants to foreign prisons, set immigration arrest quotas, clashed with courts, slashed government jobs and proposed reductions to social services.
The website describes the protests as a “national day of defiance”.
The name of the protests is derived from opposition to one-person rule. “The corruption has gone too far. No thrones. No crowns. No kings,” the website said.
Where are the No Kings protests taking place?
The protests are planned in more than 2,000 cities and towns in all 50 US states as well as in Mexico, Australia, Malawi and some European countries, the organisers’ map shows.
The protesters plan to gather at a range of meeting spots, such as parks, community centres and public landmarks.
Major rallies are planned in Philadelphia, Charlotte, Atlanta, Houston, Chicago and New York.
However, the organisers have deliberately left Washington, DC, off the map and protests will not be held there.
The reason they provide on their website is: “Instead of allowing this birthday parade to be the center of gravity, we will make action everywhere else the story of America that day: people coming together in communities across the country to reject strongman politics and corruption.”
The protests are organised by a social media movement called 50501, which stands for “50 states, 50 protests, one movement”.
What time are the protests?
Times vary according to location and can be found on the organisers’ map.
Some locations will begin protesting early, such as Norman, Oklahoma, where the protest is to begin at 9am (14:00 GMT).
Others will start demonstrations in the evening. In Big Sur, a rugged region on California’s central coast, protests are to begin at 4:30pm (23:30 GMT).
When is the military parade, and what is expected?
On Saturday, the military parade and celebration in Washington, DC, are to begin about 6:30pm (22:30 GMT).
Tanks will roll through the streets of the US capital in the first military parade to be staged in the US since 1991 when a parade marked the end of the Gulf War under President George HW Bush.
Thousands of soldiers will take part in the parade along with hundreds of military aircraft and vehicles. Army officials have estimated the cost of the parade to be $25m to $45m.
Will the protests be peaceful?
The No Kings website said the protests are intended to be peaceful. “Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events,” it said.
However, the No Kings demonstrations are planned after days of protests in multiple US cities against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and Trump’s use of the military to quell protests.
The anti-immigration protests began on June 6 in Los Angeles after military-style ICE raids on several locations across the city, resulting in the detention of 44 people. While the protests in all cities have reportedly been largely peaceful, occasional clashes have led to injuries and further arrests. The immigration raids continue, and National Guard soldiers have been deployed in multiple cities. Trump has also sent Marines to Los Angeles.
Ahead of the No Kings protests, some Republican leaders have threatened demonstrators with prosecution if protests become violent, some even going as far as to mobilise National Guard forces in advance of the protests. This approach has attracted a large amount of criticism.
“Protests are tumultuous, and military forces are trained to kill,” Gregory Magarian, professor of law at Washington University’s School of Law in St Louis, Missouri, told Al Jazeera.
What does Trump think about the No Kings protests?
When asked about the protests, Trump said at a White House news briefing on Thursday: “I don’t feel like a king, I have to go through hell to get stuff approved.”
The president’s allies and Republican lawmakers responded with laughter to his response.
“We’re not a king at all, thank you very much,” he said.
However, Trump has made use of this terminology himself in the past. In February, he posted on his Truth Social platform: “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!”
Congestion pricing refers to fees levied on motorists entering cities. It is aimed at reducing road traffic and increasing the use of public transport. Trump wrote the post after Sean Duffy, his transportation secretary, wrote a letter to New York Governor Kathy Hochul ending the US Department of Transportation’s agreement with the state for congestion charging in Manhattan.
Shortly after, the White House shared a computer-generated photo of Trump wearing a crown on a fake Time magazine cover.
What do other Republicans say?
Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced on Thursday that he ordered the deployment of more than 5,000 National Guard soldiers and 2,000 state police officers to help manage the anti-ICE protests in the state on the border with Mexico.
Abbott also deployed National Guard soldiers in San Antonio during protests against immigration enforcement actions there.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said during a news conference on Tuesday: “The minute you cross into attacking law enforcement, any type of rioting, any type of vandalism, looting, just be prepared to have the law come down on you.”
Republican South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson released a video on his X account warning “extremist left-leaning groups” against causing disruptions in South Carolina. “If you attack our officers, destroy property, or threaten innocent lives in South Carolina – you will be arrested, charged, and prosecuted. No excuses. No second chances.”
Will anti-ICE protests continue in the US?
Anti-ICE protests are continuing in Los Angeles and other cities.
Civil and human rights attorney Robert Patillo told Al Jazeera that the protests could be expected in “more than 30 cities, met with a familiar response: more riot gear, more barricades”.
“The protests are spreading because what’s happening in Los Angeles isn’t unique – it’s a mirror,” Patillo said.
“Communities across the country see themselves in the images coming out of LA: the same painful encounters with police, the same racial disparities, the same struggle to make ends meet in a system that feels stacked against them. These aren’t isolated incidents. They’re part of a deeper, shared experience of injustice that stretches from coast to coast.”
