Trump set for huge US military parade amid 'No Kings' protests / Photo: Alex WROBLEWSKI - AFP
Trump set for huge US military parade amid 'No Kings' protests
US President Donald Trump will preside over a huge military parade in Washington on his 79th birthday Saturday, as nationwide protests rejecting his brand of politics underscore deep divisions over his second term.
But the threat of thunderstorms in the US capital, and the barrage of missiles raining down in Tel Aviv and Tehran -- a conflict in which the American military is assisting -- could cast a long shadow over the president's celebration.
"This is a big day for America!!!" Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
Nearly 7,000 troops plus dozens of tanks and helicopters will rumble through Washington in an event officially marking the 250th anniversary of the US army -- at a cost of up to $45 million.
At the same time, protests by the so-called "No Kings" movement are expected across the United States against what organizers say is a Trump personality cult.
Organizers said the rallies would be the largest since Trump returned to office in January, adding that they were "rejecting authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics, and the militarization of our democracy."
Thousands more demonstrators are expected to turn out in Los Angeles to protest against Trump's deployment of troops in America's second-largest city following clashes sparked by immigration raids.
Protests are set for other major cities including New York, Houston, Philadelphia, Seattle, Atlanta and Trump's second home in Palm Beach, Florida. A small group of demonstrators even gathered in Paris.
- Rain on Trump's parade? -
Trump says the Washington parade will be "like no other" -- but has promised to use "very big force" if protesters attempt to disrupt the spectacle.
Organizers said they specifically left Washington off the list of cities holding rallies so as to draw attention away from the capital city -- but also possibly to avoid any conflict.
The parade may face disruption from another source -- the weather.
Thunderstorms could hit Washington on Saturday when the parade is taking place. The US Army said Friday it was monitoring the situation but "at this point nothing has changed."
Trump put a brave face on the forecast early Saturday, saying on Truth Social: "Our great military parade is on, rain or shine. Remember, a rainy day parade brings good luck. I'll see you all in DC."
The rare military parade is the largest in the United States since the end of the Gulf War in 1991.
Soldiers will wear uniforms dating back through US history to its independence from Britain.
More than 50 helicopters will be involved including Apache gunships and Black Hawk transport choppers.
Around 150 military vehicles -- including 28 Abrams battle tanks and 56 armored vehicles -- will rumble past.
The parade is meant to end with a parachute display as members of the army's Golden Knights team jump in and present Trump with a US flag -- on Flag Day, which marks the adoption of the Stars and Stripes.
The route will pass historic landmarks including the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, ending up near the White House.
The highly unusual show of US martial might comes a day after Trump boasted about how Israel had used American military equipment in its strikes on Iran's nuclear program.
- 'Vulgar display' -
Trump has been obsessed with having a parade since his first term as president when he attended France's annual Bastille Day parade in Paris at the invitation of President Emmanuel Macron in 2017.
But Trump's opponents accuse him of using the event to feed his ego.
"No Kings" organizers said they expected millions of people in more than 1,500 cities to take part in the protests.
They said it was a "direct response to Donald Trump's self-aggrandizing" parade, "funded by taxpayers while millions are told there's no money."
An NBC News poll published Saturday revealed that nearly two in three Americans surveyed -- 64 percent -- oppose using government funds for the military parade.
California's Governor Gavin Newsom, who slammed Trump for sending National Guard troops into Los Angeles without his consent, said it was a "vulgar display of weakness."
"To fete the Dear Leader on his birthday? What an embarrassment," Newsom, a Democrat, said Thursday, likening the display to a military parade in Kim Jong Un's North Korea.
In Los Angeles, where organizers said they expected 25,000 people to protest against Trump's immigration policies, there would be one huge balloon of Trump wearing a diaper and another of him wearing a Russian military uniform.
A.Deguara--JdM
