‘We Don’t Do Kings’: Mass Protests Planned to Counter Trump’s Birthday Military Parade

Common Dreams, By Jake Johnson, May 06, 2025

“Donald Trump wants to spend tens of millions of taxpayer dollars to throw himself a big fancy parade with tanks in the streets,” said one organizer. “This is straight out of the authoritarian playbook.”

Pro-democracy campaigners late Monday announced a nationwide “No Kings” day of defiance on June 14—the same day U.S. President Donald Trump plans to hold a birthday military parade more befitting a dictator than an elected head of state.

More than 100 “No Kings” events have already been registered across the U.S., with many more expected in the weeks ahead of the day of action.

See the full list of planned events and locations here (mobilize.us)

“Donald Trump wants to spend tens of millions of taxpayer dollars to throw himself a big fancy parade with tanks in the streets,” explained Ezra Levin, co-executive director of Indivisible, on Monday’s broadcast of The Rachel Maddow Show (see below). “This is straight out of the authoritarian playbook. He wants to project strength. He wants everybody to think that he is all-powerful. That he rules the world.”

“He doesn’t,” Levin added. “Real power is not in D.C. It’s distributed all across the country. And what we’re looking to do on No Kings Day is to say, look—Donald Trump does not own the flag. He does not own patriotism. In fact, we can all show up in opposition to a king in this country.”

The event’s website says the goal of the mass demonstrations is to show that “from city blocks to small towns, from courthouse steps to community parks, we’re taking action to reject authoritarianism.”

“In America, we don’t do kings,” the website states. “On June 14th, we’re showing up everywhere he isn’t—to say no thrones, no crowns, no kings.”

News of the latest mass mobilization against Trump and his far-right agenda came days after the U.S. Army confirmed plans for a parade on June 14—the Army’s 250th birthday and Trump’s 79th.

“The Army anticipates featuring 150 vehicles, 50 aircraft, and 6,600 soldiers,” The Washington Post reported, citing an Army spokesperson. “The parade will accompany a fireworks display and a day-long festival on the National Mall with military demonstrations, musical performances, and a fitness competition.”

The price tag for such festivities could be massive, with two unnamed defense officials telling NBC News that it could be as high as $45 million. In an interview that aired over the weekend, Trump called the potential cost “peanuts compared to the value of doing it.”

“We have the greatest missiles in the world,” Trump declared. “We have the greatest submarines in the world. We have the greatest army tanks in the world. We have the greatest weapons in the world. And we’re going to celebrate it.”

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) said in a statement Monday that “this would be an unprecedented waste of money to please this self-absorbed con man, and the public should make clear it’s unacceptable.”

“The egotist-in-chief wants taxpayers to foot the bill for a military parade on his birthday,” said Cohen, the lead sponsor of legislation that would “prohibit the use of federal funds for a military parade in the District of Columbia intended for the personal celebration of President Donald J. Trump, and for other purposes.”

Jake Johnson is a senior editor and staff writer for Common Dreams.