Trump's parade marred by national 'No Kings' protests

President Donald Trump's long-sought military parade rolled though the streets of downtown Washington last night, but the celebration of the US army's 250th anniversary was marred by a day of violence and discord.

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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.

Earlier in the day, a gunman assassinated a Democratic lawmaker and wounded another in Minnesota and remained at large.

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.

Trump’s parade, which fell on his 79th birthday, started earlier than expected as thunderstorms were forecast in the Washington area.

Thousands of spectators lined up along Constitution Avenue near the National Mall as the parade got underway with a brass band. Trump watched the proceedings from an elevated dais and was cheered when introduced.

The president has long desired to hold a military-style parade in the United States, but such events have been rare in the country’s history.