Anti-Trump protests planned in D.C.-area on day of military parade
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Protestors in the DMV and nationwide are organizing anti-President Trump rallies to run counter to the June 14 military parade — provoking an angry response on Tuesday from Trump himself.
Why it matters: Organizers expect it to be the country's largest single-day anti-Trump rally since the start of the administration, coinciding with 7,000 soldiers parading in D.C. and as thousands of troops deploy to unrest in Los Angeles.
State of play: Millions of people are estimated to show out for "No Kings" protests in more than 1,500 cities across all 50 states and commonwealths, organizers say.
- "From city blocks to small towns, from courthouse steps to community parks, we're taking action to reject authoritarianism," say organizers.
- The Women's March is separately planning "Kick Out the Clowns" protests, receiving 13,000 RSVPs across 320 events as of Tuesday.
Zoom in: No Kings protests are planned in Chevy Chase, Bethesda, Silver Spring and Takoma Park, Md., plus Arlington, Alexandria and Falls Church, Va.
- But the group decided against a D.C. event "to keep the focus on contrast, and not give the Trump administration an opportunity to stoke and then put the focus on conflict," said Leah Greenberg, co-head of Indivisible, a partner group.
- "For those people that want to protest, they're going to be met with very big force," Trump said in an Oval Office press conference on Tuesday regarding potential protestors near the parade.
The intrigue: A different group of organizers in D.C. cancelled a military parade protest that hoped to attract up to 20,000 people Saturday. They had originally planned to gather at Meridian Hill Park and walk to the National Mall.
- The organizers didn't immediately return Axios' request for comment.
Zoom in: There are other D.C. rallies planned Saturday.
- A pro-democracy group is rallying 200-300 people at Fort Reno Park, according to a National Park Service permit application.
- Two other rallies — an "Equity March" and "Refuse Fascism" protest — hope to draw 500 people each to downtown, per an NPS application.
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