Saturday June 14, was a polarising day in America. The whole world watched in awe at two very different versions of the “land of the free and home of the brave”.
Washington DC was the site of a massive military parade meant to commemorate the US Army’s 250th anniversary. That it coincided with President Trump’s 79th birthday just added to the festivities.
An air show, thousands of uniformed troops, tanks, bombs and even a robotic dog, mightily rumbling down the Constitution Avenue parade route made for an unusual sight in the US, where such displays of military might are rare.
Thousands cheered and serenaded Trump with “Happy Birthday”.
Trump declared that “Every other country celebrates their victories. It's about time America did too.”
But, just about 200 km North of DC, at the flagship “No Kings” rally in Philadelphia, an estimated 80,000 people were defiantly but peacefully chanting - “Let freedom ring! We don’t want a king!”
Philadelphia was one amongst roughly 2,000 peaceful protests that unfolded across major US cities including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, and Chicago.
What is the “No Kings” protest?
The nationwide protests, led by the 50501 Movement, are meant to call attention to what they say are authoritarian actions of the Trump administration.
Protesters believe that Trump is abusing his executive power, which he has sought to use to transform both the federal government and civil society. Particularly when it comes to immigrants, education, healthcare, state rights, and trade with foreign partners.
From immigration sweeps to the US tariffs, from gutting the Department of Education to federalising National Guard troops to quell the LA protests, many Americans had already had enough.
But the massive military parade, which they believe is the politicisation of the armed forces and a break from US democratic norms by a would-be autocrat, is the straw that finally broke the camel’s back.
For Trump and his administration the military parade was meant to celebrate and showcase the United States Army which he called “the greatest, fiercest, and bravest fighting force ever to stride the face of this earth”.
Unfortunately, the parade unfolded against a febrile, tense national backdrop.
Saturday marked the first time that hundreds of US Marines, called to respond to ongoing unrest in Los Angeles, were spotted joining law enforcement on the ground. This was after he had already activated the California National Guard without Governor Gavin Newsom’s consent, provoking legal challenges and accusations of federal overreach.
Given that Trump has been calling for budget cuts citing overspending, many called the parade’s reported $45 million price tag - a reflection of Trump’s personal ambition and ego, rather than any genuine tribute to the armed forces.
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Democrats such as California Senator Adam Schiff derided Trump for using the military in this manner as “another shameful act of this administration”. Newsom called it "a vulgar display" and added that "it's the kind of thing you see Kim Jong Un, you see Putin, you see with dictators around the world that are weak."
Trump lackey and White House communications director Steven Cheung posted on X declaring that “despite the threat of rain, over 250,000 patriots showed up to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army”.
But those numbers were dismissed as being inflated as empty bleachers and gaps in the audience could be seen in the crowd suggesting far fewer in attendance than the 200,000 people expected to view the parade.
In comparison, the “No Kings” event put together by a coalition of more than 200 organizations, including MoveOn, the American Civil Liberties Union, and more, is said to have dwarfed the Trump administration’s event.
According to an estimate from data journalist G. Elliot Morris and others, the event drew between four and six million people, with the organisers putting the number at more than 5 million.
Notably, images of the nationwide protests were plastered across the front page of every major newspaper, sometimes crowding out the President’s parade.
Makes one wonder then - if the numbers and the coverage are a barometer of the nation’s mood, will Trump take stock and perhaps rethink his strategies going forward? Most likely not.
And this takes us back to the whole reason behind the “No Kings” protest.
Back in February, Trump stirred controversy when he called himself a king in a post to Truth Social. What made it worse is that soon after, the official White House Instagram account shared a fake Time magazine cover, depicting Trump wearing a crown and the words, "Long live the king”.
For Trump the military parade is a long-time dream come true. He’d wanted to hold the parade during his first term saying he’d been inspired after attending the annual Bastille Day parade in France in 2017.
But it would serve Trump well to remember the whole point of the Bastille Day celebrations, lest this “king” too loses his head.
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