Planned protests against the Trump administration that are expected to be among the largest since the president’s second term began will be held across the country on Saturday.
The demonstrations will occur in all 50 states, and organizers have estimated roughly 2,000 gatherings — ranging from small groups in more rural communities to larger rallies in major cities including New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas and Denver. According to a map by organizers, there are some three dozen events scheduled in Indiana alone. Protests are also scheduled in other countries including Britain, Mexico and Germany.
They come as President Trump’s immigration crackdown and decision to deploy the military in Los Angeles have already led to large-scale protests there and additional protests in several other cities.
On the same day as the protests, Mr. Trump has scheduled a military parade in Washington for the Army’s 250th anniversary, which also coincides with his 79th birthday.
Here’s what we know about the protests.
Who’s behind the protests?
The demonstrations, organized under the slogan “No Kings,” have been arranged by a number of groups that overlap with the coalition that pulled together the “Hands Off!” demonstrations on April 5 and other recent large protests against the president.
Organizers include Indivisible, the American Civil Liberties Union and 50501. Some of these groups organized protests during Mr. Trump’s first term over abortion rights and gun violence. The “Hands Off!” protests in April focused on the message that the president was threatening health care, education and Social Security.
The coalition behind “No Kings” has branded Saturday a “day of defiance” against what the groups describe as authoritarian overreach by Mr. Trump and his allies. Plans for the event were in the works well before federal immigration raids set off protests in Los Angeles and other cities.
Organizers have characterized the Washington parade — the largest display of military power in the nation’s capital in decades — not as a celebration of the armed forces but as a theatrical “display of dominance” akin to military marches hosted by dictators abroad.
Where will the protests take place?
The main events are slated for Atlanta; Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago, Houston, New York, Phoenix and Philadelphia. But there are also protests planned in smaller communities like Lewisburg, W.Va.; Pinedale, Wyo.; and Moab, Utah.
Philadelphia, a city rich with revolutionary history, will host the event’s national livestream, said Leah Greenberg, co-founder of Indivisible and one of the rallies’ organizers, keeping with their efforts to frame the protests as peaceful and patriotic opposition.
Ms. Greenberg declined to speculate on the size of the demonstrations but said that organizers have received more RSVPs than for the “Hands Off!” mass protests in April.
One major city is notably absent from the list of planned demonstrations: Washington, D.C., the site of the military parade. The omission was intentional, Ms. Greenberg said.
In remarks earlier this week, Mr. Trump warned that any protesters who rallied against the military parade in Washington would be met with “very big force.”
Instead of drawing more attention to the military parade and perhaps giving Mr. Trump the opportunity to carry out his threat, Ms. Greenberg said, organizers want the focus to be on the people.
“We want to create contrast,” Ms. Greenberg said. “Not conflict.”
What time will the protests be held?
While plans and schedules vary from city to city, many are scheduled between late morning and early afternoon. At the flagship protest in Philadelphia, organizers plan on leading a march from LOVE Park to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where speakers are expected to include Ms. Greenberg; Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers; and Martin Luther King III.
How has the Trump administration responded?
When asked on Wednesday whether Mr. Trump would allow peaceful protests around the military parade, Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, called the question “stupid.”
“The president absolutely supports peaceful protests,” she said. “He supports the First Amendment. He supports the right of Americans to make their voices heard. He does not support violence of any kind. He does not support assaulting law enforcement officers who are simply trying to do their job.”
Mr. Trump addressed the “No Kings” protests directly for the first time on Thursday, brushing off their central message.
“I don’t feel like a king, I have to go through hell to get stuff approved,” Mr. Trump said, appearing to refer to the opposition he faces from Democrats. “We’re not a king at all, thank you very much,” he added.
Chris Cameron contributed reporting.
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