By Sama Marwan,
Hundreds of thousands of Americans gathered in streets, parks, and squares across the United States on Saturday, protesting the policies of President Donald Trump in demonstrations organized under the slogan “No to Kings.”
The marches swept through the streets of cities and small towns, with participants chanting anti-authoritarian slogans and calling for the protection of democracy and immigrant rights.
According to the Associated Press, the organizers of the “No to Kings” protests stated that millions took part in hundreds of events nationwide.
Governors across the country urged calm and pledged zero tolerance for violence, while some deployed the National Guard ahead of the protesters’ gatherings.
There were minor clashes between police and demonstrators. In Los Angeles, where protests had erupted a week earlier over federal immigration enforcement raids, sparking nationwide demonstrations, police used tear gas and projectiles to disperse the crowd after the official event had ended.
Similarly, in Portland, officers fired tear gas and projectiles to break up a crowd protesting in front of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building late into the evening.
Shooting During Salt Lake City March and Large-Scale Protests in U.S. Cities
In Salt Lake City, Utah, police were investigating a shooting incident that occurred during a downtown march, which left one person seriously injured.
Three individuals were arrested, including the suspected shooter, who was also wounded, according to Police Chief Brian Redd.
The agency reported that massive, lively crowds marched, danced, beat drums, and chanted together in New York, Denver, Chicago, Austin, and Los Angeles, some holding signs reading “No to Kings.”
In Atlanta, a crowd that quickly reached 5,000 people filled the designated protest area, while thousands more gathered outside the barriers to hear speakers in front of the Capitol building.
Seattle officials estimated that over 70,000 people attended the city’s largest downtown gathering, according to the Seattle Times.
While President Trump was in Washington D.C. attending a military parade marking the 250th anniversary of the Army, which coincided with his birthday, around 200 protesters gathered in Logan Circle in northwest D.C., chanting “Trump must go now.”
Among the demonstrators was a giant inflatable caricature of Trump wearing a crown and sitting on a golden toilet.
In some locations, organizers handed out small American flags, while others raised their flags upside down as a sign of distress and disapproval.
Mexican flags, which have become a common symbol in Los Angeles immigration raids protests, were also seen in some of Saturday’s demonstrations.
