No Kings protest: Minnesota rally against Trump at State Capitol
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A No Kings protest against President Donald Trump's policies is planned for Saturday afternoon in St. Paul, and will include Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Attorney General Keith Ellison, among others.
These protests are planned in nearly 2,000 cities across the United States on Saturday, the same day a military parade is planned to happen in Washington, D.C. for the Army's 250th birthday. Saturday also marks Flag Day and President Trump's birthday.
The protests, organized by the 50501 national movement, are meant to counter what organizers call a day for Trump to feed his own ego as he turns 79 years old.
"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."
St. Paul No Kings protest schedule
Local perspective:
50501: Minnesota, Indivisible Twin Cities, Women's March MN and AFL-CIO MN are organizing a march and rally in St. Paul on Saturday.
Attendees are planning to meet at 11 a.m. at St. Paul College, where Lt. Gov. Flanagan is slated to speak, and then people will march to the Minnesota State Capitol starting at noon. St. Paul College is about a 0.6-mile walk down John Ireland Boulevard to the Capitol.
There will then be a rally on the Capitol Mall and Rotunda starting at 1 p.m., which will feature Gov. Walz and AG Ellison.
Other speakers and performers at the event include poet and activist Strong Buffalo, poet Kyle Tran Myhre, musical guest Kashimana, COPAL, Black Lives Matter Minnesota's Monique Cullars-Doty, musical guest Larry Long, veteran Jacob Thomas, musical guest Surly Grrly, musical guest The Silent Treatment, musical guest Venus De Mars, and social media influencers Mandy Rae and Off JaWaggon, according to the event's website.
FOX 9 will bring you live coverage of the protests on Saturday. You can watch live in the player above, streaming on your TV via FOX LOCAL and on FOX 9's YouTube channel.
I-94 weekend closure, Metro Transit service expansions
If you go:
Those who plan to go to the St. Paul protest should be aware that Interstate 94 is closing in Minneapolis this weekend for construction, so those trying to get to St. Paul from the west may encounter some detours. You can find information on the closure and detours here.
Meanwhile, Metro Transit is expanding weekend service on several routes starting June 14, including Route 94 that connects downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul.
Metro Transit will also be offering free rides on the Metro B Line as part of a ribbon-cutting event for the new bus rapid transit line. The B Line runs down Lake Street and Marshall and Selby avenues, connecting Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Other No Kings protests in Minnesota
More protests planned:
Dozens of No Kings protests are planned across Minnesota, from International Falls and Duluth to Rochester and Albert Lea on Saturday. You can find a map of the scheduled events here.
No Kings protests nationwide
Dig deeper:
The No Kings theme was orchestrated by the 50501 Movement, a national movement made up of everyday Americans who stand for democracy and against what they call the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration. The name 50501 stands for 50 states, 50 protests, one movement.
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 press release from No Kings.
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.
People of all ages are expected to come together in nearly 2,000 protest locations for speeches, marching, carrying signs and waving American flags. The movement says it is committed to keeping their protests nonviolent.
You can learn more and see a map of scheduled protests here.
Earlier protests organized by 50501 have rallied against Trump and his former billionaire adviser Elon Musk, who led Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency to cut federal spending.
Army parade in Washington
Big picture view:
The nationwide demonstrations will coincide with the Army’s 250th anniversary celebration — which Trump has ratcheted up to include an expensive, lavish military parade. The event will feature hundreds of military vehicles and aircraft and thousands of soldiers.
The Army birthday celebration had already been planned. But earlier this spring, Trump announced his intention to ratchet up the event – which falls on Trump’s birthday – to include 60-ton M1 Abrams battle tanks and Paladin self-propelled howitzers rolling through the city streets. He has long sought a similar display of patriotic force.
The other side:
Trump said Tuesday that any protesters in Washington, D.C., would be "met with heavy force," but the White House later clarified that Trump supports "peaceful protests."