Protests at more than 2,600 locations called “No Kings” are scheduled to take place in all 50 US states on Saturday, a mass mobilization against President Donald Trump’s policies on immigration, education and security, which organizers say are pushing the country toward autocracy.
It’s the second edition of protests of this scale, in cities, suburbs and small towns across the US after similar ones in June, and are seen as a measure of the frustration of opponents of the conservative agenda that has spread rapidly across the country.
Since Trump took office 10 months ago, his administration has stepped up anti-immigration crackdowns, taken steps to shrink the state apparatus and cut funding to elite universities amid disagreements over issues such as pro-Palestinian protests, ethnic, racial and gender diversity on college campuses and transgender policies.
“There is nothing more American than saying ‘we have no kings’ and exercising our right to peacefully protest,” said Leah Greenberg, co-founder of Indivisible, the progressive organization that is the main organizer of the No Kings marches.
Progressive and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a progressive Democrat, supported the protests along with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who lost the 2016 presidential election to Trump. A number of celebrities have also supported the movement.
In June, more than 2,000 “No Kings” protests took place, mostly without incident, on the day Trump celebrated his 79th birthday and held a military parade in Washington.
“Tomorrow, Democratic leaders will join the big party on the National Square,” US House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, said on Friday.
“We call it a more accurate description: The America Hate Rally.”
Dana Fisher, a professor at American University in Washington and the author of several books on American activism, predicted that Saturday could be the largest protest turnout in modern US history. It expects over three million people to participate, based on registrations and participation in events in June.
“The main point of this day of action is to create a sense of collective identity among all the people who feel persecuted or anxious about the Trump administration and its policies,” Fisher said.
“It won’t change Trump’s policies. But it might embolden elected officials at all levels who are in opposition to Trump.”
Republican governors in several US states have put National Guard troops on standby in preparation for a national protest against Donald Trump and his policies, the BBC writes.
The governors of Texas and Virginia have activated their states’ National Guard troops, but it’s unclear how visible the military presence will be.
(Vijesti.ba)
