No arrests were made across the approximately 6,000 “No Kings” protesters who gathered at the Arizona State Capitol on June 14, even after one person brandished a gun, sending people scattering, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
The person who pointed the gun at protesters after a brief physical fight had not been charged with a crime, but an investigation was ongoing, said DPS spokesperson Bart Graves.
A video posted on social media showed a man wearing a red T-shirt and black balaclava pulling out a gun and pointing it at protesters after multiple people engaged him physically. People ran, some shouting a warning that there was a person with a gun. The man was briefly held by police but was not arrested.
“No Kings” protests opposing President Donald Trump were planned across the country on June 14, his 79th birthday.
The day of demonstrations countered a Trump-backed parade marking the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Army.
The protests came within days of the president deploying 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines to Los Angeles after worksite raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement sparked protests in the city. A group of Democratic governors, including Gov. Katie Hobbs, accused Trump of abusing his power.
Arizona Republic reporters Stephanie Murray and Taylor Seely contributed to this article.
Contact reporter Rey Covarrubias Jr. at rcovarrubias@gannett.com. Follow him on Instagram, X, Threads and Bluesky: @ReyCJrAZ.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: No arrests from Phoenix ‘No Kings’ protest despite gun being pointed