Tanks will roll through the streets of Washington, D.C., on Saturday for a multi-million dollar military parade celebrating the birthdays of the U.S. Army and President Donald Trump. Further north in Philadelphia, protesters will march in opposition.
The planned rally that begins in LOVE Park is one of over 1,800 "No Kings" demonstrations set to take place across the United States. These protests aim to draw attention away from the nation's capital and onto the Americans who feel the Trump administration has abused its executive power through mass deportations, cuts to federal services and defiance of court orders.
"We want to send a very strong message that we are not happy and we are protesting against the actions taken by the Trump regime that are unconstitutional, that are anti-democratic, that are illegal," said Vicki Miller, group leader for Indivisible Philadelphia. "We know what's happening and we are pushing back to against it as much as we can."
The Philadelphia protest will feature high-profile speakers including Martin Luther King III, Bishop William J. Barber and Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. It is considered the flagship "No Kings" event, since there will be no demonstration in Washington. Organizers decided to avoid the city to emphasize the contrast between their day of action and the parade. Philly's proximity to Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey made it an ideal anchor for commuting protesters, Miller added.
"Plus we have a pretty good history here. We threw out a mad king 250 years ago," she quipped.
The "No Kings" mobilization has been in the works for months. About 150 organizations, including activists groups and labor unions, have helped plan the protests, which will span all 50 states. While their platform is wide-ranging, participants say they are standing against corruption, cruelty and abuses of power.
They chafe at the expense of the military parade, estimated to cost between $25 million and $45 million, especially since the Trump administration has proposed deep cuts to food stamps programs and Medicaid. They also see the spectacle — over 6,600 soldiers are expected to march with at least 150 vehicles and 50 helicopters — as "self-aggrandizing." The U.S. Army had not originally planned a large parade for its 250th anniversary on June 14. That changed when Trump, who turns 79 the same day, took office.
Protesters also see something tyrannical in Trump's crackdown on undocumented immigrants. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Thursday that it has initiated removal proceedings against 26,700 people since Feb. 28. The federal government deported 238 Venezuelan migrants to a maximum security prison in El Salvador in March, and, until recently, refused to facilitate the return of a Salvadoran man the Trump administration admitted was deported mistakenly — despite a Supreme Court order to do so.
In Philadelphia, immigration activists recently demanded the release of Edwin Nicolas Sanches Pachon, a Colombian asylum seeker. According to Make the Road PA, he was detained during a routine check-in with ICE officials.
"We’re standing up to say: this country belongs to us, not a king," AFT Pennsylvania, a participant in the protests, said in an Instagram post. "NO THRONES. NO CROWNS. NO KINGS."
Miller expects up to 60,000 people to show up to Philadelphia's event, though she says only 9,000 have registered. The gulf between official RSVPs and final head counts at protests has widened, she claims, since Trump's inauguration in January. Organizers observed this disparity at the anti-Trump "Hands Off" rallies on April 5. Estimated turnout in cities like Raleigh was 45,000, but only 2,000 attendees had signed up.
"It's never been like this before," Miller said. "A lot of people tell us they don't wanna be on a list. They will not sign up because they don't want to be on any kind of list. People are fearful."
Trump's deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles amid anti-ICE protests has contributed to those fears. Organizations involved with "No Kings" have hosted multiple de-escalation trainings in the lead-up to the event to ensure the proceedings remain peaceful. Miller also stresses that 100 trained volunteer marshals will be at the Philadelphia protest, as will medics and officials with the Office of Emergency Management.
But the people participating in "No Kings" still want the experience to be joyful. Miller says the Philadelphia organizers will hand out thousands of American flags for protesters to carry and place marchers dressed as George Washington and other historical figures at the front. There will also be a band and drumline scoring the procession, which will follow Benjamin Franklin Parkway up to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Making the demonstration "colorful" was key, Miller said, to balance the various reasons for it.
"These are very serious topics that are extremely painful for people," she said. "But if we can join together and have a little bit of fun and enjoy the day together, it gives us energy to move forward. That's a win."
Follow Kristin & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @kristin_hunt
| @thePhillyVoice
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice
Have a news tip? Let us know.
