USA: Trump stages military parade amid 'No Kings' protests

• First major military parade to take place in Washington DC since 1991
• $45-million event supposedly in honor of the US Army on its 250th anniversary
• Events happens to coincide with President Trump's 79th birthday
• Around 2,000 "No Kings" protests planned across the United States
• Anti-Trump protests come as government deploys troops on streets of Los Angeles

Follow DW's live coverage of the military parade in Washington DC and the protests across the US on June 14, 2025:

06/14/2025June 14, 2025

Los Angeles: Marines arrive ahead of anti-Trump protests

A detachment of US Marines arrived in Los Angeles on Friday after a week of anti-government protests in the city and ahead of further planned protests on Saturday.

According to the AFP news agency, the elite troops — who are trained for combat deployments abroad, not domestic policing — took up positions around a complex which is home to federal institutions including the FBI.

"Taxpayers' money could be used for other things," complained one passerby, while LA mayor Karen Bass said that the military presence would only fuel further protest.

"We do call on people over the weekend to demonstrate peacefully, to exercise your first amendment right, to not play into the hands where it could be used as a pretext to roll out troops in our city," she said.

Along with National Guard units, the US Marines form part of a military deployment to LA deemed necessary by President Donald Trump to combat what he claims is a "foreign invasion."

California Governor Gavin Newsom has called Trump's actions a step toward authoritarianism and a "brazen abuse of power."

Trump's reaction to the protests in LA has sparked fears over the state of democracy, but others have warned the protests may actually fuel a taste for authoritarianism.

06/14/2025June 14, 2025

DW Fact Check: Fake news surrounding LA protests

Predictably, there has also been a flood of misinformation and fake news surrounding the LA protests, from illegal migrants supposedly dousing themselves in gasoline and setting themselves on fire (false) to dozens of National Guard troops appearing to be sleeping on a basement floor (true).

How do we know? And how can you tell for yourself? DW's Fact Check team explains.

06/14/2025June 14, 2025

Background: US prepares for 'No Kings' protests against Trump

As US President Donald Trump gears up for the first major military parade in the US in decades, protesters are planning "No Kings" events all over the country on Saturday.

What are they all about? Where are they taking place? And what exactly does "No Kings" mean?

DWs Carla Bleiker has all you need to know about the 'No King's protests here.

06/14/2025June 14, 2025

Welcome to our coverage

Hello and welcome to DW's live coverage of the military parade in Washington, DC and the planned protests across the United States on June 14, 2025.

According to President Donald Trump, Saturday's military parade — the first such event since 1991 — is in honor of the 250th anniversary of the US Army. June 14 also happens to be Trump's 79th birthday, although the President has denied any connection.

Despite concerns over its $45-million (around €39 million) cost and the damage that heavy military vehicles could do to the streets of the capital (estimated at a potential $16 million), the parade is scheduled to begin at 6.30 p.m. (2230 GMT) local time.

Simultaneously, anti-Trump protests are planned across the country, with over 2,000 events planned across all 50 states.

Organizers say the demonstrations, taking place under the slogan "No thrones. No crowns. No kings," are in protest at government corruption, deportations, disregard of the justice system, attacks on civil rights and the slashing of public services.