The White House’s escalating response to street protests echoes talk before Donald Trump’s inauguration of forcibly quelling resistance in urban America. Those plans are now the present.
After the use of federalized national guard units and marines in response to protests in Los Angeles, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) plans to deploy Swat-style special response teams to Seattle, Philadelphia, northern Virginia, New York and Chicago – cities led by Democrats that have long been the target of Trump’s invective – before expected protests this weekend, according to reports by NBC and others.
The militarization on the streets and in immigration raids dramatically marks the places the administration wants to punish dissent.
More now on those reports regarding the weather’s potential effect on today’s proceedings in Washington DC, which we touched on in our post at 07.46 ET.
Ahead of the parade, which coincides with Donald Trump’s 79th birthday, there were reports that the event had even been put in doubt by a thunderstorm warning, according to the Times of London.
Steve Warren, chief spokesman of the US army, which is celebrating its 250th anniversary, told the Times:
Rain won’t stop us, the tanks don’t melt, but if there’s lightning then that puts the crowd at risk … they will disperse the crowd and even cancel or postpone the parade. It will depend on the president, too, when he’s available.
To Donald Trump, the inspiration for today’s military parade is the pomp and pageantry of Bastille Day, France’s annual celebration of the 1789 revolution.
For his critics, it is redolent of the authoritarian militarism proudly projected by autocracies like Russia, China and North Korea.
Despite its military prowess and undoubted superpowers status, overt military displays in civilian settings are the exception rather than the rule in US history.
But in bringing to the streets of Washington DC on Saturday the military parade Trump has long hankered after he – consciously or otherwise – is tapping into a tradition that harks back to antiquity.
The first known instances of victorious exhibitions of military might date back to ancient Mesopotamia, whose territory now comprises modern-day Iraq and parts of Turkey, Syria and Iran.
Mesopotamian emperors decorated their palaces and citadels with friezes portraying heroic conquests. Portraits would display a massive potentate striding ahead of his troops and crushing on his opponents’ skulls.
Away from today’s protests and there’ll be one eye on events in the Middle East as Israel and Iran continue to exchange fire following Israel’s attack on Friday.
Explosions have been reported in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Tehran today and Iran has warned the United States, United Kingdom and France that their bases and ships in the region will be targeted if they help stop Tehran’s strikes on Israel, Iran state media reported on Saturday.
The US has said it was not involved in the attack on Iran, describing the Israeli action as unilateral, and it warned Iran and its allies not to target US interests or personnel in the region.
Follow the latest from our live coverage of the Israel Iran conflict via the link below
The weather is being closely monitored and taken into consideration ahead of today’s planned parade, but at this point nothing has changed, the Pentagon said yesterday.
The statement came in response to weather forecasts which appeared, on Friday at least, to show heavy rain and even thunderstorms heading for Washington DC.
This week, Trump has deployed national guard and US marine troops to Los Angeles to crack down on protesters who have demonstrated against his ramped-up deportations, defying state and local authorities in a show of military force that hasn’t been seen in the US since the civil rights era.
Texas governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, deployed his state’s national guard to manage protests ahead of No Kings and amid ongoing demonstrations against Trump’s immigration agenda.
In Florida, Republican governor Ron DeSantis said people could legally run over protesters with their cars if they were surrounded.
He added: “You don’t have to sit there and just be a sitting duck and let the mob grab you out of your car and drag you through the streets.
“You have a right to defend yourself in Florida.”
Millions of people are expected to turn out for US-wide protests as part of a “No Kings” event on Saturday – the same day Donald Trump will attend a military parade to honor the 250th anniversary of the US army that coincides with his 79th birthday.
The rallies follow a week of protests against anti-immigration raids in Los Angeles, with largely peaceful demonstrations spreading to cities including New York, Chicago, San Antonio and Atlanta. Anger at Trump’s deployment of the national guard and marines against the wishes of California officials is likely to swell numbers at today’s protests.
Meanwhile, the military parade is set to start at 6.30pm ET and is expected to feature thousands of soldiers parading through Washington DC, as well as hundreds of vehicles – including tanks and rocket launchers – dozens of aircraft – including Apache helicopters – plus 34 horses, two mules and one dog.
The event has grown extensively in scope and size since US army planners started working on a festival two years ago to mark the day. According to the AP, it will include concerts, fireworks, NFL players, fitness competitions and displays all over the National Mall. The US army expects as many as 200,000 people could attend. The event will cost an estimated $25m to $45m.
A survey earlier this week found six in 10 US adults said the parade was “not a good use” of government money, including the vast majority of people, 78%, who neither approve nor disapprove of the parade overall, according to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
Join us as we bring you the latest news and developments from protests across the US and the parade.
