Cities large and small were preparing for major demonstrations Saturday across the U.S. against President Donald Trump, as officials urge calm, National Guard troops mobilize and Trump attends a military parade in Washington to mark the Army’s 250th anniversary.

A flagship “No Kings” march and rally are planned in Philadelphia, but no events are scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C., where the military parade will take place on Trump’s 79th birthday. Organizers of the protests say they want to take attention away from the parade. 

The demonstrations come on the heels of protests flaring up around the country over federal immigration enforcement raids that began last week and Trump ordering National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles where protesters blocked a freeway and set cars on fire.

Police in Los Angeles responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades while officials enforced curfews the city and Democratic governors called Trump’s Guard deployment “an alarming abuse of power” that “shows the Trump administration does not trust local law enforcement.”

Governors and city officials vowed to protect the right to protest and to show no tolerance for violence.

“New Yorkers may have different emotions right now,” said New York City mayor Eric Adams in a briefing on Friday. NYC is expected to see hundreds of thousands of demonstrators, organizers said. “And they have a right to express that,  but we want to be clear you do not have a right to engage in violence and lawlessness.”

What is No Kings Day? 

The “No Kings” theme was orchestrated by the 50501 Movement, to support democracy and against what they call the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration. The name 50501 stands for 50 states, 50 protests, one movement.

Protests earlier this year have denounced Trump and billionaire adviser Elon Musk. Protesters have called for Trump to be “dethroned” as they compare his actions to that of a king and not a democratically elected president.

The No Kings Day of Defiance has been organized to reject authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics and the militarization of the country’s democracy, according to a statement by organizers. The event was promoted by Walmart heiress Christy Walton, herself a billionaire, in a full-page advertisement she took out in the New York Times last Sunday. No Kings Day merchandise has cropped up for sale on Amazon, Temu and other online retailers.  

Organizers intend for the protests to counter the Army’s 250th anniversary celebration — which Trump has ratcheted up to include a military parade, which is estimated to cost $25 million to $45 million that the Army expects to attract as many as 200,000 people.

The event will feature hundreds of military vehicles and aircraft and thousands of soldiers. It also happens to be Trump’s 79th birthday and Flag Day.

“The flag doesn’t belong to President Trump. It belongs to us,” the “No Kings” website says. “On June 14th, we’re showing up everywhere he isn’t — to say no thrones, no crowns, no kings.”

Protests in nearly 2,000 locations are scheduled around the country, from city blocks to small towns, from courthouse steps to community parks, organizers said.

Demonstrations are expected to include speeches and marches, organizers said in a call Wednesday. The group says a core principle behind all “No Kings” events is a commitment to nonviolent action, and participants are expected to seek to de-escalate any confrontation.

No weapons of any kind should be taken to “No Kings” events, according to the website.

The No Kings Day of Defiance is expected to be the largest single-day mobilization since Trump returned to office, organizers said. Organizers said they are preparing for millions of people to take to the streets across all 50 states and commonwealths.

Some states prepare National Guard troops

Republican governors in Virginia, Texas, Nebraska and Missouri are mobilizing National Guard troops to help law enforcement manage demonstrations.

There will be “zero tolerance” for violence, destruction or disrupting traffic, and “if you violate the law, you’re going to be arrested,” Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin told reporters Friday.

In Missouri, Gov. Mike Kehoe issued a similar message, vowing to take a proactive approach and not to “wait for chaos to ensue.”

Nebraska’s governor on Friday also signed an emergency proclamation for activating his state’s National Guard, a step his office called “a precautionary measure in reaction to recent instances of civil unrest across the country.”

Organizers say that one march will go to the gates of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, where Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis warned demonstrators that the “line is very clear” and not to cross it. Another demonstration is set for Fort Lauderdale. Organizers told CBS Miami they had hundreds of people registered for the event. 

Governors also urged calm.

On social media, Washington state Governor Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, called for peaceful protests over the weekend, to ensure Trump doesn’t send military to the state.

“Donald Trump wants to be able to say that we cannot handle our own public safety in Washington state,” Ferguson said.

Multiple rallies are planned for Maryland. Democratic Gov. Wes Moore said multiple departments and agencies have “been carefully monitoring” the upcoming events, and that “safety is our highest priority.” 

“The ability to freely speak out and assemble is a cornerstone of American democracy—and one of our greatest heirlooms as a state and nation,” Moore said, adding that Maryland is “a state that will protect the rights of the people and also uphold the law.” 

In a statement Friday, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, urged “protestors to remain peaceful and calm as they exercise their First Amendment right to make their voices heard.”

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, said his administration and state police are working with police in Philadelphia ahead of what organizers estimate could be a crowd approaching 100,000 people.

Philadelphia’s top prosecutor, District Attorney Larry Krasner, warned that anyone coming to Philadelphia to break the law or immigration agents exceeding their authority will face arrest. He invoked civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. as a guide for demonstrators.

“If you are doing what Martin Luther King would have done, you’re going to be fine,” Krasner told a news conference.

Protest organizer Dani Negrete told CBS Philadelphia that the “number one priority is making sure that all of these events” are “well organized and peaceful.” 

“We’ve been making sure that all of our attendees and organizers know why they’re here,” Negrete said. “Here in Philadelphia, we’re going to have a clear message that rings out across the world about the importance of this moment and the importance of standing up while our right to do that is under threat.”

Meanwhile, a protest in northeast Minneapolis was canceled after the homes of two lawmakers in Minnesota were targeted with gunfire on Saturday morning.  

Some law enforcement agencies announced they were ramping up efforts for the weekend. In California, state troopers will be on “tactical alert,” which means all days off are canceled for all officers.