Tanks, troops and a 21-gun salute kicked off a huge parade celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army through the streets of Washington, D.C. Saturday — the same day as President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday — as protests against his agenda take place across the country.
Trump looked on from a special viewing area south of the White House alongside administration and military officials and their families, who braved the rain for the festivities, presented as a history of America’s military might.
Military aircraft flew overhead while wave after wave of soldiers marched in front of the stage set up for the president.
As the parade progressed — with traditional uniforms and music giving way to fatigues and heavy metal guitar riffs — the tanks and other armoured vehicles rolling through the streets became larger and more imposing.
About 6,600 soldiers, 50 helicopters and 60-ton M1 Abrams battle tanks were expected to take part in the massive event, and up to 200,000 attendees were anticipated, according to The Associated Press.
On Saturday morning, the president wrote on Truth Social that the parade would go ahead despite unfavourable weather forecasts.
“OUR GREAT MILITARY PARADE IS ON, RAIN OR SHINE. REMEMBER, A RAINY DAY PARADE BRINGS GOOD LUCK. I’LL SEE YOU ALL IN D.C.,” he said.
Demonstrations planned in response to the parade and Trump’s anti-immigration policies are also being held on Saturday, with hundreds of rallies expected to happen simultaneously throughout the U.S.
In Washington, anti-war protesters unfurled signs that said “Homes not drones” not far from a display of armoured vehicles, helicopters and military-grade equipment on the National Mall. Vendors outside the festival sold gear marking the military milestone. Others hawked Trump-themed merchandise.
Doug Haynes, a Navy veteran who voted for Trump, attended the daylong festival in D.C. marking the U.S. Army anniversary and Flag Day, but told the Associated Press that the parade scheduled for later “was a little over the top.”
Pointing at a nearby tank, Haynes said that having them roll down the street is a “very bold statement to the world, perhaps.”
'No Kings' protests across U.S.
The planned “No Kings” protests follow almost a week of demonstrations prompted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids executed in Los Angeles.
While Democratic state leaders urged Saturday’s protesters to remain peaceful, some Republican governors mobilized National Guard troops, including Gov. Abbot of Texas, who deployed more than 5,000 military personnel to “No Kings” protests in his state. Republicans have offered stern warnings to those who might break the law, the Associated Press reported.
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The Texas Department of Public Safety said it arrested a person suspected of making threats against state lawmakers who planned to attend the “No Kings” protest at the state capital in Austin.
The 50501 Movement has organized the countrywide response. The name stands for 50 states, 50 protests, one movement.
The group says it chose the “No Kings” name in support of democracy and speaks out against what it calls the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration.
It called off an anti-Trump protest in Northeast Minneapolis due to a shelter-in-place order following the fatal shootings of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband in what Gov. Tim Walz described as “targeted political violence” that also wounded another state lawmaker and his wife. Both of the lawmakers shot were Democrats.
Authorities said the suspect had “No Kings” flyers in his car and writings mentioning the names of the victims as well as other lawmakers and officials.
The president condemned the killings, saying on Truth Social, “Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America,” adding that the FBI was investigating the incident.
Walz also advised people in the Minneapolis area to stay inside, saying, “Out of an abundance of caution my Department of Public Safety is recommending that people do not attend any political rallies today in Minnesota until the suspect is apprehended,” he wrote on X on Saturday afternoon.
Meanwhile, U.S. authorities said they are prepared to respond and will be keeping a keen eye on immigration-related incidents at the rallies.
At a “No Kings” protest on Saturday in Atlanta, law enforcement reportedly deployed tear gas to divert several hundred protesters heading towards a major highway, The Associated Press wrote.
According to the outlet, officers yelled “unlawful assembly” and “you must disperse” into megaphones. The gas caused the crowd to disperse, and two police helicopters flew overhead as the crowd moved.
On Monday, the president deployed thousands of National Guard troops and several hundred U.S. Marines to California without the permission of Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Military parade long sought by Trump
Trump proposed a parade during his first term after attending France’s Bastille Day parade in 2017, but the plans were scrapped due to the predicted high costs and logistical problems.
Military leaders are defending its estimated US$25 million to $45 million cost, saying they predict it will boost recruitment.
Meanwhile, Army veteran Aaron Bogner, 50, who served from 1993 to 1996, told The Associated Press that he views Trump’s mobilization of troops and weaponry as a stunt that serves his agenda.
“I think it’s shameful. He didn’t serve,” Bogner said. “It’s just an engineered birthday party. It’s an excuse to have tanks in your streets like North Korea.”
Bogner said he is attending the rallies to protest the deployment of the National Guard, which has clashed with citizens protesting Trump’s detention of immigrants.
He called the deployment of troops hypocritical for a president who issued pardons to 1,500 people who participated in the January 6 attack on the Capitol in 2021.
Clyde and Mary, a couple from Virginia who travelled to attend the Army parade in Washington, D.C., and did not share their last names, told The Associated Press they were not Trump supporters but were there to celebrate their country’s troops.
“This planning started two years ago and, you know, the Army was planning it and Trump, in my opinion, hijacked it,” Clyde, an army veteran, said.
Mary, who works at a history museum, added that she is not a “Trump fan.”
“We are here very much wanting to celebrate our nation’s and the Army’s history,” said Mary. “If I had stayed home I’d have been out on the street protesting.”
About six in 10 Americans say the parade is “not a good use” of government money, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
This is a developing story.
— with files from The Associated Press
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