Protesters planning demonstrations during Donald Trump’s birthday military parade have been encouraged to wear clown outfits and other festive attire as they mock the “spectacle” in Washington on Saturday.
After a week of clashes in Los Angeles, activists have also ramped up safety workshops, de-escalation tactics and first-aid training to avoid violent confrontations with authorities.
Despite the president’s threat that anyone raining on his parade would be met with “heavy force”, about 1800 demonstrations are expected to take place in cities and towns across the US in a national display of defiance.
Among them are a series of protests called “Kick out the Clowns”, which will occur alongside the “No Kings” demonstrations this weekend.
“It really occurred to us how much of a spectacle this is – not just the parade but also the administration,” said Women’s March managing director Tamika Middleton, whose group is part of a coalition running the event.
“He’s a reality show president, and a very unserious leader, so we’re really recognizing how much of a circus the government has become.”
The protests were sparked after Trump announced plans to host a military parade in Washington to mark the 250th anniversary of the US Army, coinciding with his 79th birthday.
As tanks and soldiers line the streets of Washington, D.C. on Saturday, thousands of people across the U.S. will provide a split screen of protests reminiscent of the “Hands Off” rallies that took place earlier this year against Trump and his then DOGE chief, Elon Musk.
Planning documents show that the ‘Kick Out The Clowns’ rallies will feature grassroots street circuses, and activists will wear clown costumes as they use humor to “reflect the absurdity of the MAGA regime.”
Safety workshops have also been offered over the past week, with organisers urging attendees to remain peaceful.
Trump has strongly defended his military parade, saying it was a way to celebrate America’s victories in war and remind people “how great our country is.”
Asked today if he viewed himself as a king, he replied: “I don’t feel like a king. I have to go through hell to get stuff approved.”
The parade is expected to cost up to $45 million according to conservative estimates.
It will feature twenty-eight 61-tonne Abrams battle tanks, a flock of artillery launchers, a fleet of 56 armoured Stryker and Bradley fighting vehicles, as well as Black Hawk, Apache, and Chinook helicopters.
Thousands of troops will march in formation through the streets of D.C, and flyovers will roar through the skies.
“It’s gonna be something very, very special,” Trump said.
The parade has been likened to those that take place in authoritarian countries such as Russia and North Korea.
It also comes as tensions flare over Trump’s weekend decision to deploy federal troops to Los Angeles against the wishes of local and state officials.
While Trump blamed Democrats for the riots that unfolded, anger erupted on Thursday after Alex Padilla, a Democratic California senator and vocal critic of Trump’s immigration policies, was forcibly removed and handcuffed while trying to ask questions at a press conference for Homeland Security Minister Kristi Noem.
“We’re in an existential crisis with respect to our democracy and our Constitution right now, in the face of a wannabe dictator in the White House,” said John Bonifaz, a constitutional lawyer and president of Free Speech for People, who is taking part in the ‘No Kings’ protest.
“That’s why it’s important that we all show up to these events to demonstrate that we will continue to stand up for our democracy and our constitution at this critical moment in history.”
Earlier this week, Trump had also warned that anyone disrupting his parade on Saturday would be met with “very heavy force”.
American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten accused the president of trying to be “intentionally provocative.”
As such, protests would be taking place across the country, rather than centering on downtown DC to avoid playing into Trump’s hands, she said.
“You’ll hopefully have peaceful, non-violent protests to show that the rest of the country wants a president, not somebody who acts like a king,” she said.
The post Anti-Trump Clown Protests Planned Across America appeared first on The Daily Beast.
