"No Kings" protests target Trump in Virginia
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Protesters in Virginia and nationwide are organizing anti-President Trump rallies to run counter to Saturday's military parade in D.C. — provoking a response from Trump himself.
Why it matters: Organizers expect it to be the largest single-day anti-Trump rally this year, coinciding with 7,000 soldiers parading just two hours north of Richmond and thousands of troops deploying to unrest in Los Angeles.
State of play: Millions of people are estimated to protest in nearly 1,800 cities across all 50 states and commonwealths, including Puerto Rico, organizers said.
- Virginia has roughly 50 scheduled protests, including in Richmond at the Bell Tower, Petersburg, Louisa, Williamsburg, and Charlottesville.
- Virginia Sen. Ghazala Hashmi (D), who's running for lieutenant governor, is expected to speak at the Richmond protest.
What they're saying: "No Kings is a nationwide day of defiance," organizers wrote. "From city blocks to small towns, from courthouse steps to community parks, we're taking action to reject authoritarianism."
- Meanwhile, Trump on Tuesday said that any protests during the parade on Saturday — which is also his 79th birthday — would be met with "very big force."
Between the lines: The "No Kings" protests are being done in partnership with 50501, which has helped organize the back-to-back protests Richmond has regularly seen this year.
- Those include the most recent ones this week in the Richmond area, pushing back on ICE raids.
- A separate anti-ICE protest is planned for Friday night in Jackson Ward.
What we're watching: The Women's March is separately organizing "Kick Out the Clowns" protests, with more than 15,000 RSVPs across over 330 events nationwide.
- About five are scheduled in Virginia, but none in Richmond as of Thursday afternoon.
Go deeper: What to know about the counterprotests to Trump's June 14 parade