US protesters hit streets before Trump's military parade

Thousands of people on Saturday rallied nationwide against the policies of US President Donald Trump ahead of a rare military parade on his 79th birthday -- but the killing of a Democratic lawmaker in Minnesota cast a pall over the day's events.
Trump was quick to condemn the targeted shootings of two lawmakers outside Minneapolis -- one died along with her husband, while the other and his wife have been hospitalized with gunshot wounds.
The shocking murder was the latest in a string of incidents of political violence, including an attempt on Trump's life in July last year, and an April arson attack on the home of Pennsylvania's governor, who is a Democrat and Jewish.
The shootings prompted Minnesota state authorities to call on residents not to attend protests by the so-called "No Kings" movement organized across the United State, which began at noon (1600 GMT) in some East Coast locations.
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."
"I'm here because the things that are happening in this administration are very disturbing," Sarah Hargrave, 42, told AFP in the Washington suburb of Bethesda, where about 1,000 people rallied.
AFP | Thomas SAMSON
Organizers said they expected millions of people in more than 1,500 cities including New York, Houston, Seattle, Atlanta and Trump's second home in Palm Beach, Florida to protest. A small group even gathered in Paris.
Thousands hit the streets in Philadelphia, one of the movement's flagship events.
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.
Downtown, Trump planned a giant celebration of the US Army's 250th birthday -- and his own -- in Washington with tanks, helicopters and nearly 7,000 troops at a reported cost of up to $45 million.
"This is a big day for America!!!" Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
But the Minnesota shootings, 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 event.
- Rain on Trump's parade? -
AFP | SAUL LOEB
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.
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.
AFP | Amid FARAHI
The route will pass historic landmarks including the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, ending up near the White House.
But thunderstorms could hit Washington on Saturday when the parade is taking place.
Trump put a brave face on the forecast 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."
- 'Vulgar display' -
AFP | Mandel NGAN
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.

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