Daniel Torok / The White House / Flickr
Over 1,500 anti-Trump protests are set to erupt nationwide June 14 — Flag Day and President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday — as progressive groups aim to counter a military parade in Washington, DC, marking the Army’s 250th anniversary.
Branded the “No Kings Nationwide Day of Defiance,” the demonstrations are being led by Indivisible, a left-wing activist network, in partnership with other progressive coalitions. Organizers say the coordinated effort is a rejection of what they describe as Trump’s “authoritarian excesses.”
“No Kings is a nationwide day of defiance,” the group’s website states. “From city blocks to small towns, from courthouse steps to community parks, we’re taking action to reject authoritarianism—and show the world what democracy really looks like. We’re not gathering to feed his ego. We’re building a movement that leaves him behind.”
Indivisible alleges that Trump’s administration has “defied our courts, deported American citizens, disappeared people off the streets, and slashed our services,” and accuses the president of “aiming for at least a third term.”
The protests are timed to coincide with a major military celebration in the nation’s capital, which includes a parade, a wreath-laying at Arlington National Cemetery, and a festival on the National Mall with military demonstrations and equipment showcases.
Indivisible claimed the military parade is a “made-for-TV display of dominance for [Trump’s] birthday.” In a May news release, the group accused the president of hijacking the military’s milestone to celebrate his birthday.
“The flag doesn’t belong to President Trump. It belongs to us,” the group declared. “We’re not watching history happen. We’re making it. On June 14th, we’re showing up everywhere he isn’t—to say no thrones, no crowns, no kings.”
However, Pentagon officials told Reuters that preparations for the Army’s 250th birthday began last year — before Trump’s 2024 election victory — with no intention to formally commemorate his birthday.
Trump himself echoed that in an interview last month, telling NBC that the parade is “not for my birthday,” but to honor the military and celebrate Flag Day.
While the group claims it is committed to “nonviolent action,” their website describes plans for the parades, including calls to march, rally, and engage in visible action.
Trump, addressing the June 14 parade plans from the Oval Office Tuesday, said “People that want to protest will be met with big force… But this is people that hate our country. They will be met with heavy force.”
