There is another nationwide protest against President Donald Trump on June 14. This time, it will take place on his 79th (!) birthday. The “No Kings” rallies will focus on Trump the man, his decrees (especially the illegal ones), his corruption, and his economic disruption. [See Inquirer}
For those who need it, there is a lot of biblical basis for protesting. The most obvious example is Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3. Together, they protested a command from Nebuchadnezzar to bow down and worship a massive, golden statue of himself. Trump, in his newly-gold-plated Oval Office bears a resemblance. The three men (and Daniel) knew the king’s command was putting a false God before the true God, so they refused to obey. Trump has posed as an anointed, God-protected ruler, so that is worth protesting as a Christian. His attack on constitutional rule and precedent is even more worth protesting as a dutiful citizen.
The number of June 14 events planned number over 2000 now, all over the country. They will overlap with the military parade in Washington. For that reason, organizers intentionally skipped planning for D.C. and are encouraging participants to travel to my fair city, Philadelphia, instead. I will be there.
The organizers say on their website: “[The Trump administration has] defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services. The corruption has gone too far. No thrones. No crowns. No kings.”
What does “No Kings” mean?
I think “No autocrats” might be better — and I still have a right to say what I want in this country. My sign usually says, “Down with the oligarchs!” But “No kings!” is good. When the protests came around in April, Trump posted a picture of himself as a king just to mock us — that, in itself, is good reason to demand his ouster. Every day he wrecks the nation by acting with executive power he is not granted and daring the courts and Congress to keep him in the bounds of constitutional authority.
Scoundrels use wicked methods,
they make up evil schemes
to destroy the poor with lies,
even when the plea of the needy is just. — Isaiah 32:17
Americans did overthrow a king to be a nation. But I like to protest autocrats — not all kings have been autocratic. The American experiment in democracy is dead set against them, however.
Who is organizing the No Kings protests?
Several organizers are taking credit for the No Kings protests, including Indivisible, MoveOn, and the 50501 Movement. Mobilize helps coordinate.
If you need a biblical precedent for organizing protests against the government, here is one in honor of the Pentecost season from Acts 5: “We must obey God, not men.” When the followers of Jesus said that, they were honoring him well, since he never let any officials deter him, avoided and subverted them, and gave his ultimate statement when he burst through the official seal they placed on his tomb after they killed him. It does not matter what a country’s government is, Christians are salt and light in it. If you are not shining light on Trump’s endless lies (for one thing), you’re losing your salt.
Indivisible is a progressive organization that launched in 2016 after Trump was elected to his first term as president. MoveOn is a progressive public policy advocacy group that has been around since the late 1990s. It’s known for its email mobilization campaigns and is one of the largest grassroots campaigning communities.
The 50501 Movement stands for “50 protests. 50 states. 1 movement.” That’s the group I have followed most closely. 50501 came together on Reddit, as people began discussing mobilizing and protesting against Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who used to be a Trump confidant and adviser, and a proponent of the administration’s policies. Word circulated across social media until the group’s first protest took place on Feb. 5 and involved demonstrations outside of state capitol buildings and city halls.
It’s also the group responsible for the series of No Kings on Presidents’ Day protests that took place nationwide in February, including in Philadelphia, and the Hands Off protests that happened in April.
Military fantasies
Though the military parade — which formally celebrates the Army’s 250th birthday — is taking place on his birthday, Trump has denied claims that the party is for him. “My birthday happens to be on Flag Day,” Trump said during a Meet the Press interview last month. “I view it for Flag Day, not necessarily my birthday. Somebody put it together. But no, I think we’re going to do something on June 14, maybe, or somewhere around there. But I think June 14. It’s a very important day.”
In Trump speak, that means it is a birthday gift for him. Whenever he says he doesn’t know anything about something, you can be sure he does. Here is the equipment rolling in (starts at about :24)
The spectacle is minimally projected to cost $45 million. It is a visual aid for the power grab Trump has enacted. The No Kings organizers say, “This display of might is intended to intimidate opponents and solidify his image as a strongman on our dime.” They also criticize the parade’s high costs — which will be funded at least partially by taxpayers — coinciding with the administration proposing to slash SNAP and Medicaid funding, among everything else.
The parade
The parade will kick off a year of celebrations for the Army’s 250th birthday, according to the White House. There will be about 6,600 soldiers, 150 vehicles, and 50 helicopters on a route from Arlington, Va., to the National Mall, the Associated Press reported. There will also be a fireworks display and a daylong festival on the National Mall, according to an Army spokesperson.
It will be the first military parade in recent history, something Trump has publicly voiced a desire for since his first term as president. He initially proposed having one after seeing France’s Bastille Day celebration in 2017. But one would be hard-pressed to deny he imagines being Vladimir Putin or Kim Jong Un reviewing the troops. Earlier plans were shelved after estimates found that parade would cost nearly $100 million and be logistically complex. $16 million of the present estimate is allotted for street repairs after Army tanks roll down the old D.C. streets, which were not engineered for military parades, of course. NBC reports the Army is taking preventive measures to outfit the tanks in materials intended to lessen the damage.
Why no protests called for D.C.?
To be clear, many people will be protesting in DC. I haven’t heard of mass plan to lay in front of the tanks yet. But the national organizers went through months deciding to not organize for DC, partially because they feared Trump would use it to call for martial law. Some people say sending troops to L.A. is the beginning of militarizing the country, anyway.
The organizers say, “On June 14 — Flag Day — Donald Trump wants tanks in the street and a made-for-TV display of dominance for his birthday. But real power isn’t staged in Washington. It rises up everywhere else. Instead of allowing this birthday parade to be the center of gravity, we will make action everywhere else the story of America that day: people coming together in communities across the country to reject strongman politics and corruption.”
Instead of a formal No Kings event in D.C., organizers are encouraging people to go to events scheduled in every state on June 14, with flagship events occurring in Philadelphia, Chicago, Charlotte, Atlanta, and Houston. For supporters of the movement who are limited to the D.C. area, organizers suggest getting involved with a separate partner event called D.C. Joy Day, a celebration of the local community.
The Philly event is happening from noon to 3 p.m. beginning at LOVE Park and marching to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Take public transpo.
To find out about your area, check the No Kings website. It has a map of every June 14 event on its website (www.nokings.org/#map). The 50501 Movement is also posting forthcoming events on its Instagram page.
If you still need some biblical encouragement to take to the streets, just take a look at the Budget proposal Trump is feverishly trying to get the Senate to pass. It is inspiring: [link to Center on Budget and Policy Priorities]. Proverbs 14:31 states, “Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” That will be my main motivation for being on the street. If I am just simply saying “no” to an old man and his billionaire cronies who will waste money ineffectually bombing Houthis but will not maintain the present minimal attention the government pays to hungry children without adequate medical care, that will be enough.
Today is Columba Day! Royal who became a monk, then a thief, then a navigator, then a missionary, artist, and leader. A big man with a big life. Meet him at The Transhistorical Body.