By Idrees Ali, Tim Reid, Brad Brooks, Karen Freifeld for Reuters
President Donald Trump salutes the US Army during the Washington DC parade. Photo: MANDEL NGAN/AFP
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President Donald Trump's long-sought military parade rolled through the streets of downtown Washington on Sunday (NZT), but the celebration of the US Army's 250th anniversary was marred by a day of violence and discord.
In the hours before the parade began, hundreds of thousands of Americans marched and rallied in streets in cities from New York to Chicago to Los Angeles, protesting Trump's actions while in office, in the largest such actions since his return to power in January.
Earlier in the day, a gunman assassinated a Democratic lawmaker and wounded another in Minnesota and remained at large.
Meanwhile, Israel and Iran exchanged further attacks early on Sunday, stoking fears of a mushrooming conflict between the two nations.
All of it followed a week of tension in Los Angeles, where protests over federal immigration raids resulted in Trump calling in National Guard troops and US Marines to help keep the peace, over the objections of the state's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom.
The parade, which fell on Trump's 79th birthday, kicked off earlier than expected, with thunderstorms forecast in the Washington area.
Tanks, armoured personnel carriers and artillery rumbled down the parade route along storied Constitution Avenue, an unusual sight in the US, where such displays of military might are rare.
"Every other country celebrates their victories, it's about time America did too," Trump told the crowd following the parade.
Thousands of spectators lined up along the route. Trump watched the proceedings from an elevated viewing stand behind bulletproof glass.
Some of the president's opponents also managed to find a spot along the parade route, holding signs in protest. Other demonstrators were kept separate from the parade crowd by local police.
NYPD Strategic Response Group police officers stand outside Federal Plaza Immigration Court during during the 'No Kings' national rally. Photo: CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP
The US Army brought nearly 7000 troops into Washington, along with 150 vehicles, including more than 25 M1 Abrams tanks, 28 Stryker armored vehicles, four Paladin self-propelled artillery vehicles and artillery pieces, including the M777 and M119.
Army's history
The parade traced the history of the army, from its founding during the Revolutionary War through modern day. Trump frequently stood and saluted troops, as they marched by.
Members of Trump's cabinet, including Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, looked on.
Trump first expressed interest in a military parade in Washington early in his first 2017-21 term in office.
In 1991, tanks and thousands of troops paraded through Washington to celebrate the ousting of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's forces from Kuwait in the Gulf War.
The celebrations were expected to cost the US Army between $25-45 million, US officials told Reuters. That included the parade itself, as well as the cost of moving equipment, and housing and feeding the troops.
Critics called the parade an authoritarian display of power that was wasteful, especially given Trump had said he wanted to slash costs throughout the federal government.
Trump supporter Bryan Henrie flew in from Texas to celebrate the army's anniversary and did not see any issues with tanks rolling down the streets of Washington.
"I don't see a controversy," Henrie, 61, said. "I will celebrate safety and stability any day over anarchy."
Shame! Shame!
Earlier in the day, thousands marched in Washington and other cities in protest of Trump's policies. The demonstrations were largely peaceful and marked the largest outpouring of opposition to Trump's presidency since he returned to power in January.
In Los Angeles, however, the situation remained tense. About an hour before a downtown curfew, police officers mounted on horses aggressively pushed back demonstrators, using gas, flash bangs and other less lethal munitions, causing large groups to panic and flee.
Protesters fired what police called commercial-grade fireworks against officers, along with rocks and bottles. Some demonstrators wore gas masks and helmets, and vowed to stay in the area for many more hours.
US President Donald Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump take the stage during the Army 250th Anniversary Parade in Washington DC. Photo: MANDEL NGAN/AFP
A crowd had earlier confronted soldiers guarding a federal building, yelling "Shame! Shame!" and "Get Marines, get out of LA!".
Anti-Trump groups planned nearly 2000 demonstrations across the country to coincide with the parade. Many took place under the theme 'No Kings', asserting that no individual was above the law.
Thousands of people of all ages turned out in and around Bryant Park in Midtown Manhattan, many carrying homemade signs that played off the 'No Kings' theme.
"No crown for a clown," said one.
Actor Mark Ruffalo was among the demonstrators, wearing a hat that read "immigrant".
"We're seeing dehumanising language towards LGBT people, towards people with autism, towards people with other disabilities, racial minorities, undocumented people," said Cooper Smith, 20, from upstate New York. "Somebody's got to show that most Americans are against this."
Thousands packed Chicago's Daley Plaza and surrounding streets on Saturday, under the iconic Picasso statue. Some chanted "Lock him up!" in reference to the president.
US President Donald Trump watches members of the 82nd Airborne Division march past during the Army 250th Anniversary Parade in Washington DC. Photo: MANDEL NGAN/AFP
Allan Hallie, a 70-year-old retired gastroenterologist, travelled from the northwest Indiana town of Ogden Dunes to protest policies of the Trump administration.
"I am quite afraid of the direction of this country," he said.
Members of the far-right Proud Boys - ardent Trump supporters - appeared at an Atlanta 'No Kings' protest, wearing the group's distinctive black-and-yellow colours.
About 400 protesters, organised by a group called RefuseFascism.org, marched through Washington and gathered for a rally in a park opposite the White House. Trump had warned people against protesting at the parade itself, saying: "They're going to be met with very big force."
Sunsara Taylor, a founder of RefuseFascism, told the crowd: "Today we refuse to accept Donald Trump unleashing the military against the people of this country and in the streets of this country. We say, 'hell no'."
- Reuters