A $46 million parade, the first in Washington DC in more than 30 years, unfolded against a backdrop of protests and political violence

Washington DC was locked down and the capital’s airspace closed to flights as 6,500 troops marched down Constitution Avenue and helicopters flew overhead, fulfilling a long-standing ambition of Trump to stage a military parade — the first held in the American capital in more than 30 years.

Organisers for Saturday’s parade said they were expecting “hundreds of thousands” to attend but images of empty seats in stands along the parade route suggested turnout may not have been as high as hoped. It is possible the poor weather kept many at home.

The celebrations came just hours after a Democratic politician and her husband were shot dead in their Minnesota home by a man believed to be impersonating a police officer. Threats against other politicians in Texas were made on a day of widespread unrest and protests against the Trump administration, timed to coincide with Saturday’s $46 million event.

  • Deflated0ne@lemmy.world
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    2 hours ago

    Not tossing a couple grenades into his pope box was a failing that our military may never live down.

    Zero risk. Would have become a hero.

    • KingPorkChop@lemmy.ca
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      1 hour ago

      They had tanks there. I think that would have been more performative.

      Wooof,… kableeeewy,… SPLAT

      Grand applause

  • SnarkoPolo@lemmy.world
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    2 hours ago

    Here in San Diego alone, we had more than 20,000 for No Kings. Pussolini’s bigly parade allegedly drew 10,000, and most of them left early looking for a Chick-fil-A.

  • merdaverse@lemmy.world
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    3 hours ago

    Imagine being such a hated coward that you’re literally surrounded by the military, and still have to hide behind bullet proof glass

  • CircaV@lemmy.ca
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    48 minutes ago

    We can no longer agree on reality so MAGA maggots are probably saying this was the biggest best most successful parade ever and worth every penny…… So what if No Kings had a lot of people - Trunps gonna continue Trumping tomorrow and Americans aren’t stopping him.

  • bieren@lemmy.zip
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    4 hours ago

    Fake news. Ugly lies. It was the biggest and most beautiful parade ever. Everyone is saying it. No one has ever had a parade like this. They tell me Sir you parade had the most people at it in the history of parades. I have ordered the FBI and DHS to investigate and eliminate anyone that disagrees. It was a big beautiful parade.

    • greybeard@feddit.online
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      37 minutes ago

      Monkey’s Paw: His next birthday is spent underground because WW3 kicked off and he is in a nuclear bunker.

      • phx@lemmy.ca
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        1 hour ago

        How about we just tell him it’s happened, hasten him to a bunker, and then let him take to some guy via radio that lets him think he’s one of the few survivors.

        Hell, that’d be a good use for AI. Let it listen to his rambling and simulate a human response so nobody else needs to bother

    • DMCMNFIBFFF@lemmy.world
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      1 hour ago

      I want him to live long enough to be in the 2028 GOP primaries (and the 2032, and 2036, and so on and so on …,).

    • prototact@lemmy.zip
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      7 hours ago

      Hopefully he meets a peaceful end with an appropriate tie around his neck that shows how much people appreciate his life’s works.

      • anomnom@sh.itjust.works
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        6 hours ago

        Or when his overly long tie gets sucked into the toilet on Air Force One while it’s struggling to evacuate a series of Mc Donalds shit pebbles. Preferably caught on tape and posted to TikTok.

  • xenomor@lemmy.world
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    6 hours ago

    I think the location of that parade reviewing stand will make a great place to hang him upside down for public review.

  • Almacca@aussie.zone
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    10 hours ago

    Organisers for Saturday’s parade said they were expecting “hundreds of thousands” to attend

    Ah, bless 'em.

  • Bob Robertson IX @discuss.tchncs.de
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    14 hours ago

    It is possible the poor weather kept many at home.

    Right. Because I’m going to buy a ticket to DC, rent a hotel room, tell my friends I’m going… and then not go because it’s raining.

    • grue@lemmy.world
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      14 hours ago

      Meanwhile, millions of people showed up to protests in DC and other places with equally rainy forecasts. But sure, news, blame the weather instead of the fascism.

      • jj4211@lemmy.world
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        7 hours ago

        To be fair, that article was overall pretty plainly stating that the protests were overwhelmingly more well attended. Yes they had one line that raised the possibility of weather as a factor, but I think anyone but Trump could see the facts as presented in the story telling the real story.

        Also went out of their way to characterize the protests as peaceful and the only politicians under violent threat were Democrats, despite the magnitude of protests.

  • Machinist@lemmy.world
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    14 hours ago

    I like the “No Kings!” messaging, simple and pointed. We need a slogan that is short and sweet for the soldiers to use. Something that shows them they have agency in this.