On the day that President Donald Trump is getting a long-dreamt-of military parade — marking the Army’s 250th anniversary on a date that coincides with his own birthday — pro-democracy groups have declared a “No Kings” day of protests with more than 1,500 cities and towns planning anti-Trump demonstrations.
Several communities on the SouthCoast have No Kings demonstrations scheduled for June 14 — the same day that the Trump administration has scheduled a pomp-filled procession through the streets of Washington, D.C.
The demonstrations are organized by Indivisible, a nonprofit coalition of progressive political action groups.
Here’s what to know about the parade, local counter-protests, and Trump’s response to protesters:
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People protest following three days of clashes with police after a series of raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on June 09, 2025, in Los Angeles, California. Tensions in the city remain high after the Trump administration called in the National Guard against the wishes of Governor Gavin Newsom and city leaders.
Why are anti-Trump protests being held June 14?
Indivisible states that they’re organizing “to reject corrupt, authoritarian politics.”
“They’ve defied our courts, deported citizens, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, slashed essential services, and handed billions to their allies. Enough is enough,” reads a statement on NoKings.org.
“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.”
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Demonstrators participate in a protest against federal immigration sweeps in downtown Los Angeles on June 9, 2025.
Where are No Kings protests being held locally?
Bridgewater: 10 to 11 a.m., 4 Central Square in front of Walgreens
Brockton: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., 728 Belmont St.
Fairhaven: noon to 2 p.m., Fairhaven High School
Fall River: noon to 2 p.m., intersection of William S. Canning Boulevard and Newton Street
New Bedford: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Hazelwood Park, Rodney French Boulevard
Swansea: 10 a.m. to noon, 573 GAR Highway, near Target plaza
Taunton: 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Taunton Green
Why is Trump holding a military parade?
Trump initially planned a military parade during his first term as president, when he watched French tanks roll down the Champs-Élysées in Paris on Bastille Day in 2017. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, a retired Marine Corps four-star general, objecting to the idea as a politicization of the military. In 2020, when Trump pushed again despite concerns about the coronavirus pandemic, Mattis’ successor, Mark Esper, arranged instead for an array of warplanes to fly down the East Coast in an “air parade.”
Planned are more than 100 combat vehicles on the ground and dozens of vintage and modern warplanes in the air. The troops plus 34 horses, two mules, a dog named Doc Holliday and some of the vehicles will start at the Pentagon in Virginia, cross Arlington Memorial Bridge, then head to the parade route along the National Mall, joined there by the tanks.
California National Guard troops stand outside the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building after their deployment by U.S. President Donald Trump, in response to protests against immigration sweeps, in Los Angeles, California on June 9, 2025.
Trump will be watching from a reviewing stand just south of the White House that is now being constructed for the occasion.
The Army has estimated the cost at $30 million to $45 million.
U.S. Army tank is staged at West Potomac Park ahead of the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary parade on June 10, 2025 in Washington, D.C. Various armored vehicles are being transported to the nation’s capital area by train and traveling the last leg of the journey to Washington, D.C., by truck ahead of the June 14th parade, which is also President Donald Trump’s birthday.
What has Trump said about the June 14 protests?
Trump has promised retaliation for protesters.
“For those people that want to protest, they’re going to be met with very big force,” Trump said in a statement at the Oval Office on June 10. “This is people that hate our country, but they will be met with very heavy force.”
Will the No Kings protests be peaceful?
“A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action,” stated Indivisible. “We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events.”
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: June 14 ‘No Kings’ Trump protests set in Southeast Mass. Here’s where.