Cities brace for large crowds at anti-Trump 'No Kings' rallies

Cities large and small were preparing for major demonstrations Saturday across the US against President Donald Trump, as officials urge calm, National Guard troops mobilize, and Trump attends a military parade in Washington to mark the Army's 250th anniversary.

- (AP)

A flagship "No Kings" march and rally are planned in Philadelphia, but no events are scheduled to take place in Washington D.C., where the military parade will take place on Trump's birthday

The demonstrations are gaining additional fuel from protests flaring up around the country over federal immigration enforcement raids and Trump ordering National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles where protesters blocked a freeway and set cars on fire.

Police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets, and flash-bang grenades while officials enforced curfews in Los Angeles and Democratic governors called Trump's Guard deployment "an alarming abuse of power" that "shows the Trump administration does not trust local law enforcement."

Governors and city officials vowed to protect the right to protest and to show no tolerance for violence.

Republican governors in Virginia, Texas, Nebraska, and Missouri are mobilizing National Guard troops to help law enforcement manage demonstrations.