Summary: “No Kings Day” Protests Set to Counter Trump’s Military Parade on June 14
On June 14, which is both Flag Day and Donald Trump’s 79th birthday, millions of Americans are expected to participate in “No Kings Day”—a nationwide protest organized by Indivisible and more than 200 progressive partner groups. The event is described as the largest single-day demonstration since Trump began his second term in January.
Key Points:
- 1,800 rallies are planned across all 50 states and major U.S. cities—except Washington, D.C., where the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary military parade is being held, featuring 6,600 soldiers, 150 vehicles, and 50 helicopters.
- The parade, organized by Trump and criticized as a self-congratulatory birthday celebration, is expected to cost around $40 million, a figure drawing widespread criticism amid federal budget cuts.
- The protests are intentionally peaceful and decentralized, with the slogan “No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings.” Organizers stress nonviolence and the importance of de-escalation during events.
- Events are being held nationwide and internationally, including in Europe and South America.
- Groups involved include the ACLU, Greenpeace, Common Cause, and various unions like the Communication Workers of America.
- Protesters are responding not only to the military parade but also to broader concerns about authoritarianism, civil rights rollbacks, and crackdowns on protests, especially after recent ICE-related demonstrations in Los Angeles.
- Organizers are framing the event as a “nationwide day of defiance” to show that democracy is alive and power flows from the people.
Indivisible and its leaders emphasize that the protests are not about opposing the military, but about resisting authoritarian symbolism and asserting that America is a democracy, not a monarchy.
Millions of Americans are expected to turn out on Saturday, which is also Donald Trump’s birthday, for pro-democracy demonstrations organized by Indivisible. June 14 is shaping up to be a significant day, with what organizers say will likely be the “largest single-day turnout of the anti-Trump, pro-democracy protest movement since President Donald Trump took office for a second term in January.”
According to organizers, more than 1,800 rallies are scheduled for Saturday. These “No Kings Day” protests, described as “a nationwide day of defiance,” are set to take place in every state and major city across the country—except Washington, D.C.—to avoid clashes with the Army’s 250th anniversary celebrations taking place in the capital.
In a statement to Fast Company, the No Kings organizers described their event as “peaceful, organized, and united.” They added, “Make it clear: We don’t do kings in this country.”
The No Kings website explains the mission further: “From city blocks to small towns, from courthouse steps to community parks, we’re taking action to reject authoritarianism—and show the world what democracy really looks like . . . On June 14th, we’re showing up everywhere he [Trump] isn’t—to say no thrones, no crowns, no kings.”
Organizers and Partners Driving a “Nationwide Day of Defiance”
The No Kings protest is sponsored by Indivisible and a broad coalition of over 180 partner organizations. These include the ACLU, Common Cause, Greenpeace, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Standing Up for Science, and several unions such as the Communication Workers of America and teacher federations.
Ezra Levin, co-executive director of Indivisible, told Fast Company, “Even conservative estimates say that 3.5 million people turned out for the Hands Off mobilization on April 5. No Kings [in the U.S] is on track to exceed that by millions more.” He added that events are happening “in red states, blue states, purple states, rural areas, suburban areas, urban areas, United States, North America, Europe, South America—we’re all over.”
Designed as a Counter to Trump’s Military Birthday Parade
The anti-authoritarian, pro-democracy protests directly counter President Trump’s multimillion-dollar military parade scheduled in Washington, D.C., on the same day. The parade is set to celebrate the Army’s 250th anniversary and Trump’s 79th birthday, which coincides with Flag Day.
According to the Associated Press, the parade will feature 6,600 soldiers, 150 vehicles, and 50 helicopters. The route runs from Arlington, Virginia, to the National Mall, where the day will culminate in a fireworks display.
The initial cost estimate for the parade, which the Army first calculated at between $25 million and $45 million, is now closer to $40 million, per USA Today. This comes at a time when the Trump administration’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has slashed budgets and jobs across federal agencies, including the Defense Department.
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“This Country Doesn’t Belong to a King”
In its May news release announcing the protests, Indivisible stated that the parade is meant to be a “made-for-TV display of dominance for [Trump’s] birthday” and argued that Trump is using the military’s birthday to celebrate himself.
“This country doesn’t belong to a king—and we’re not letting him throw himself a parade funded by tens of millions of our taxpayer dollars while stealing from us and stripping away our rights, our freedoms, and the programs our families rely on,” the organization said.
“On June 14th, we’re coming together to send one clear message: No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings.”
The Global Scope of the “No Kings” Movement
In a Friday press release, Indivisible announced that in addition to protests across the U.S., events are also planned in Europe and South America.
“Donald Trump and his regime are cracking down on media, on business, on higher education, and on civil society more broadly—anyone who opposes them,” said Indivisible co-executive director Leah Greenberg. “That is the context in which Donald Trump rolled out his plans for his birthday parade. … He wants people to think that his power is inevitable, that its consolidation is a given. What we want is to show that it’s just as likely—more likely, even—that this is going to be a short-lived era.”
Increased Momentum Following ICE Protest Crackdowns
The momentum for the protests has been growing, especially after the crackdown on protesters against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Los Angeles.
Indivisible’s Ezra Levin told MSNBC on Monday that Trump’s response to the L.A. protests had “brought many more people to the No Kings website,” and that additional trainings were being scheduled “in response to the overwhelming interest.”
Organizers Emphasize Nonviolence and Decentralization
The coalition overseeing the events, which includes more than 200 groups, has published a “toolkit” for organizers with guidelines on how to register and coordinate their own protests. The toolkit specifically instructs that no events be held in Washington, D.C., “in order to make other places the ‘center of gravity,’” and to contrast with Trump’s parade.
The document further asks participants to “keep the protests nonviolent” and encourages de-escalation in the event of confrontations. Protesters are also advised not to bring weapons to any of the events.
“Power Depends on the People”
Speaking with MSNBC, Levin emphasized the importance of demonstrating that “this is a democracy.”
“We do not want to give Trump an excuse to crack down on peaceful protests, which is exactly what he wants to do. We don’t want to give him some sort of narrative excuse to say protesters are protesting the military,” he said.
“This is a democracy. And in a democracy, power depends on the people. It flows from the people. It depends on the consent of the governed, and on Saturday we’re going to show up to make that point very clear.”
A Show of Unity, Not a Clash
Although tensions are high surrounding the military parade and the political climate, protest organizers have made it clear they do not seek a confrontation. The choice to avoid Washington, D.C., and the strong messaging around nonviolence, signal an attempt to shift the national narrative toward democratic engagement rather than division.
As their message repeatedly emphasizes, “No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings.” On June 14, Americans across the country—and across continents—plan to stand by that message.
Sources:
- Fast Company
- Associated Press
- USA Today
- MSNBC
