Amid protests: Trump holds military parade in Washington

A large military parade to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the American military was held in the US capital, Washington, on June 14. It coincided with the 79th birthday of President Donald Trump, who attended the event and gave a speech. Simultaneously with the military parade, demonstrations against Trump’s policies were held in a number of cities across the United States.

The event was attended by nearly 7,000 American soldiers, who moved on dozens of M1-A1 Abrams tanks and Bradley and Stryker combat vehicles, howitzers, and other artillery equipment.

The military parade in the US coincided with Trump’s 79th birthday, who was greeted at the podium with a 21-gun salute and the song Happy Birthday to You.

This event told the story of the US Army over 250 years of its existence, starting with the Revolutionary War and ending with the greatest conflicts.

The festivities began at the Lincoln Memorial and ended at the Washington Monument. The audience included veterans, youth, and families celebrating Father’s Day.

Eras of the army’s history were reflected in the costumes and equipment of the parade participants.

Due to fears that the parade would have to be canceled due to bad weather, its start was moved earlier, and some events, such as the flyover of F-22 aircraft, were canceled in advance.

According to the dpa agency, many of the spectators who came to the parade held American flags and wore caps with the inscription “Make America great again”.

President Donald Trump arrived at the parade with his wife Melania. He watched from the stands. During the event, the president personally swore in new army recruits and returning service members. “Welcome to the United States Army! And good luck in your lives,” the White House chief of staff told them.

In his speech at the parade, Trump called the US military “the greatest, fiercest and bravest fighting force,” emphasizing that “today you made all Americans very proud.”

As Deutsche Welle reports , demonstrations against Trump’s policies were held simultaneously with the military parade in Washington in a number of cities in the United States.

The “No Kings” rallies are against “authoritarianism, billionaire politics, and the militarization of American democracy,” according to their organizers. They were also timed to coincide with the president’s birthday.

Demonstrations took place in New York, Philadelphia, Houston, Los Angeles, and other cities in the United States.

In Minnesota, organizers canceled protests after a prominent Democratic politician was shot and killed and another wounded on June 14. The suspect was identified as a 57-year-old local resident. Handwritten “No kings” signs were found in his car, local police told X.

In New York, in particular, approximately 50,000 people took part in the demonstrations, according to law enforcement estimates, CNN reports .

Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, police began dispersing protesters using tear gas.

It should be noted that during his first term as head of state, Trump also had plans to hold a large-scale military parade after attending the Bastille Day parade on July 14, 2017, at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron. However, it later turned out that organizing such an event in the United States would cost approximately $90 million, so the idea was not implemented at the time.

As a reminder, nationwide protests against the policies of President Donald Trump have begun in the United States. As the organizers of the rallies assured, the gatherings aim to “reject authoritarianism, policies that put billionaires first, and the militarization of democracy.”

It was previously announced that the action, called “No Kings,” would cover more than 1,800 cities in all 50 states, as well as several countries outside the U.S. The protests were initiated by more than 100 organizations, which called June 14 a simple “chance to show the absurdity of the MAGA and clown regime.”

The protests were planned as a response to the military parade in Washington, organized for the 250th anniversary of the US Army, which also fell on Trump’s birthday.

Meanwhile, a state of emergency and curfew have been declared in downtown Los Angeles due to large-scale protests against the immigration policies of the Donald Trump administration.

As you know, in early June , mass riots broke out in Los Angeles against the backdrop of President Donald Trump’s tough immigration policy. There are dozens of detainees in the city, the National Guard is on the streets, and the governor of California is accusing Washington of illegal actions.

The protests erupted after a wave of mass arrests of migrants by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This week, hundreds of people suspected of being in the country illegally were detained in Los Angeles and other cities across the country. Most of them are from Latin America, Asia, Haiti and Ukraine.

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