A huge military parade was organized in Washington for the 250th anniversary of the U.S. military, attended by President Donald Trump, who was celebrating his birthday on the same day.
HDN Newsroom
The military parade was organized to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. military and coincided — not by coincidence — with Donald Trump's 79th birthday.
The parade came days after troops were sent to Los Angeles to address protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.
The parade, held in Washington, D.C., was the largest show of military force in the U.S. capital since at least 1991, when a parade of tanks, soldiers and missiles marked the end of the first Gulf War.
The cost of the parade is estimated to be between $25 million and $45 million, an amount that has been described as wasteful, especially since the president has pledged to cut spending. However, the brilliance of the event was overshadowed by a wave of violence and protests that spread across the country.
The parade was a rare sight for the U.S., with tanks, armored vehicles, guns and about 7,000 soldiers traversing historic Constitution Avenue. Donald Trump, seated behind bulletproof glass, watched the spectacle along with members of his administration and thousands of spectators who had gathered along the route. The parade started earlier than planned due to storm forecasts, while the presence of strong security forces was evident.
Trump, who had expressed the desire for such a parade since his first term, stressed: "Every country celebrates its victories, it's time for America to do the same."
Meanwhile, thousands of protesters poured into the streets of major U.S. cities, under the umbrella of the "50501" movement, which has as its slogan "in America we don't need kings."
Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets in major cities such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, protesting Trump's policies and show of military force. The protests were the largest since his return to power in January, with the slogan "No Kings" dominating, highlighting opposition to personality cult and authoritarianism.
In Washington, anti-war protesters raised banners with slogans such as "Homes not drones," while in Los Angeles, tensions escalated with the intervention of the National Guard and Marines, on Trump's orders and despite the objections of the Democratic governor of California. There were clashes, tear gas use and arrests as protesters reacted to federal migrant deportation operations.
Watch the full parade
