 "‘No Kings’ protest across US: Why millions are set to take to the streets on Trump’s birthday")
Tomorrow, (June 14), is Donald Trump’s 79th birthday. It also coincides with the 250 birthday of the us army.
The US president will finally receive what he has been wanting for ages – a military parade in his honour. However, that’s not the only thing Trump will be getting.
In fact, Trump is set to receive an unwanted birthday gift – a countrywide protest against his administration.
Worse, millions of people are expected to attend – and thereby rain on his parade. Apart from the weather, which incidentally, is also set for rain in the afternoon and evening.
The development comes in the backdrop of protests in Los Angeles and California against Trump’s immigration policies.
Trump has sent in The National Guard and the Marines to try to crush the protests.
But what do we know about the ‘no kings’ protest that Trump is set to face?
What do we know?
The protest is set to take place in all 50 states in America as part of the ‘No Kings’ movement.
Organisers have deliberately chosen the day in order to draw a contrast with Trump.
According to the No Kings website, organisers have called for a “nationwide day of defiance” to reject strongman politics and corruption.
They say they expect millions of people to attend across 2,000 events.
The biggest events will be held in Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Phoenix, Houston, Atlanta and Charlotte.
“We’ve seen hundreds of new events on the No Kings Day map since the weekend,” Ezra Levin, co-founder of one of the groups behind the event, told The Guardian. “We’ve seen hundreds of thousands of people register for those events.”
However, no demonstrations are planned for Washington DC.
Organisers say they have done this purposely to “draw a clear contrast between our people-powered movement and the costly, wasteful, and un-American birthday parade in Washington.”
Instead, organisers have announced a major flagship march and rally in Philadelphia.
“They’ve defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services. The corruption has gone too. far. No thrones. No crowns. No kings,” the website states.
Hunter Dunn, who was previously the press coordinator for the 50501 protests , is organising the ‘No Kings’ event in Los Angeles.
“There’s more explicit focus on getting Ice and the federal government out of Los Angeles, and it’s become more obviously a protest against authoritarianism and fascism, I’d say, because we’re actively under attack by our government,” Dunn told the newspaper.
“If someone’s legal status is at risk, I would not want them to risk it for a protest. But what I would want them to do is ask five of their neighbours to come in their stead,” Dunn added. “Because if you stand up by yourself against the government, you’re going to be crushed, you’re going to be put down. But if an entire community rises up together in solidarity, there’s not a government in the world that could crush that. We’re safer together.”
A number of celebrities including Walmart heiress Christy Walton have spoken out in favour of these protests.
Walton in fact took out a one-page ad in The New York Times to do so.
‘Don’t feel like a king’
Trump earlier this week addressed the planned protests.
“I don’t feel like a king. I have to go through hell to get things approved,” Trump said.
He also warned that anyone protesting during the military parade “will be met with very big force.”
“If there’s any protester who wants to come out, they will be met with very big force,” Trump said. “I haven’t even heard about a protest, but [there are] people that hate our country.”
The White House has claimed that Trump “supports peaceful protests.”
With inputs from agencies
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