The largest “No Kings” protest on June 14 is expected to take place in Philadelphia as a nod to the country’s history and to avoid accusations that protesters are opposing the Army parade in Washington, D.C., organizers said.
“We made that choice to not feed into any narrative that Trump might want that we’re counter protesting him directly or give him the opportunity to crack down on protesters,” said Indivisible co-founder Ezra Levin, one of the organizers.
The protests coincide with the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary celebration and parade in Washington, which is also President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday and Flag Day. Administration officials say it is a coincidence that the parade falls on Trump’s birthday.
There is no scheduled “No Kings” protest in Washington, though other groups have plans to protest.
“We did want it to be everywhere that people were willing to hold a protest that day, and everywhere other than downtown D.C.,” Levin said.
In response to a question about the protests, Trump told reporters June 12 that he doesn’t feel like a king.
“I don’t feel like a king. I have to go through hell to get stuff approved,” Trump said.
Why Philadelphia is set to be largest ‘No Kings’ protest
Philadelphia was chosen in part because it is where the Second Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence.
Organizers are have spoken about wanting to reclaim American flag imagery from the right. They say speaking out is the most patriotic thing to do when Democratic norms are being challenged.
“Two hundred and fifty years ago, the Continental Army was formed to fight back against a king, and there is an opportunity right now for Americans to come out and say: ‘No, wait, this isn’t what America stands for,'” Levin said.
The invitation for Philadelphia’s event says “The flag doesn’t belong to Donald Trump. It belongs to us. We’re not watching history happen. We’re making it. On June 14th, we’re showing up everywhere he isn’t—to say no thrones, no crowns, no kings.”
What to know about the Philadelphia ‘No Kings’ protest
The Philadelphia protest begins at LOVE Park at the corner of Arch Street & North 15th Street at Noon. At 12:30 p.m. the crowd plans to march down the Ben Franklin Parkway to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where several people will speak. It is expected to end around 3 p.m.
Major protests are also scheduled in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York, Phoenix, and Los Angeles as well as in about 2,000 other locations nationwide. All 50 states appear to have multiple protests scheduled. There are also sympathetic protests scheduled in multiple countries.
Organizers say the number of protests “skyrocketed” after the California National Guard and 700 Marines were called out over the governor’s objection to quell largely peaceful but at times violent protests in Los Angeles. Dozens of immigration enforcement protests have occurred nationwide since protests began in Los Angeles.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Largest ‘No Kings’ protest planned for Philadelphia. Here’s why.
