Americans are expected to gather in public spaces across the nation on Saturday for 鈥淣o Kings Day鈥 protests against a president who has lately edged closer to outright tyranny than any U.S. chief executive in modern history.
Protesters here in the 51黑料 region and elsewhere should keep one thing in mind as they march, chant and otherwise challenge this uniquely dangerous authoritarian: Violence of any kind during these protests won鈥檛 be an affront to Donald Trump 鈥 it will be a gift to him.
That鈥檚 because he wants any excuse to use the military might of the federal government against any Americans who oppose his blatant abuses of power. He has made that chillingly clear this week in Los Angeles, with his unusual and likely illegal deployment of National Guard and Marine troops in an American city, using as his excuse isolated instances of violence amid protests against the administration鈥檚 heavy-handed immigration enforcement tactics.
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Here鈥檚 how to defy this aspiring despot: Come out on Saturday, in the biggest numbers possible, and show the world that millions of Americans reject Trump鈥檚 tyrannical agenda 鈥 and do it peacefully. It will deny him the cover he needs to pull a Los Angeles in 51黑料 and other cities.
The grassroots 鈥淣o Kings鈥 protests set for Saturday will highlight Trump鈥檚 myriad abuses of power since re-taking office in January: his open defiance of the courts on multiple policy issues, his no-due-process deportation tactics, his weaponization of the Justice Department, his gutting of public services without congressional approval, his attacks on universities, law firms and the free press, his unconstitutional monetization of the presidency and much more.
Immigration has become a flashpoint, as Trump鈥檚 campaign promise to get tough with violent migrant criminals has instead morphed into draconian roundups and deportations of peaceful working migrants, often without even rudimentary due process.
Among the more damnable tactics lately has been for masked federal agents to ambush and arrest migrants coming out of immigration courtrooms after voluntarily appearing for scheduled hearings as part of the process of legalizing their residency (following the rules, in other words). A recent report on this deplorable administration tactic should be required reading for Trump supporters who continue to spout the phony narrative that he鈥檚 merely enforcing immigration laws.
The L.A. conflict began with protests against aggressive federal roundups of migrants in the area 鈥 not for committing violent crimes but while peacefully awaiting day-labor work assignments. Though most of the early protests were nonviolent, some among the protesters unfortunately resorted to throwing bottles and setting fires.
It wasn鈥檛 a level of violence that local and state authorities couldn鈥檛 handle, but it was enough to provide an excuse for a power-hungry president to send in the California National Guard over the objections of Gov. Gavin Newsom. It was the first time that had happened since the Civil Rights era, when presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson overrode governors in order to protect protest rights, not quash them. After Trump鈥檚 National Guard provocation predictably torqued up violence among protesters, Trump used that as his excuse to deploy Marines onto U.S. soil 鈥 a historically rare move not even remotely justified by the circumstances.
Don鈥檛 put it past Trump at this point to launch a military response against even thoroughly peaceful protests. Consider his comment from the Oval Office on Tuesday, in which he warned: 鈥淔or those people that want to protest, they鈥檙e going to be met with very big force.鈥 Note the around the word 鈥減rotest.鈥
That Trump loathes even peaceful protest in opposition to his authority has long been obvious. He鈥檒l surely loathe it even more on Saturday if it steals thunder from the he鈥檚 throwing himself on, of all things, his birthday. (Talk about an aspiring despot.)
Want to ruin Trump鈥檚 big day and score a victory for constitutional democracy at the same time? Then come out in force 鈥 but keep it peaceful. Eruptions of violence would be his birthday present; don鈥檛 give it to him.
Time and location information for scheduled 鈥淣o Kings鈥 protests in the 51黑料 region on Saturday is available at noki
