This Saturday, June 14, I could say a lot about the divisions that fracture the United States today. Five months after his return to power, Donald Trump offers a rare military parade in Washington, the same day of his 79th birthday, when his opponents are asked to be demonstrated in number through the country against his beginning of an “authoritarian” mandate.
The streets of the US capital, whose monumental heart, the White House at the head, narrow with kilometers of high security fences. A demonstration of strength and pomp like Donald Trump likes them and had dreamed for years. As additional benefit, on your birthday.
At the same time, in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and through the 50 states of the country, a day of national mobilization called “No Reyes” must be carried out, to protest against their “authoritarianism” and “the militarization of our democracy.” Almost 2,000 manifestations are identified.
Almost 7,000 soldiers, paratrooper …
In Washington, under the surveillance of its obelisk, it is along the emblematic monuments, from Lincoln Memorial to the White House, which will parade from 6.30 pm (00:30, Paris time) almost 7,000 soldiers. Some will be on horseback, many in uniforms of different wars, about 150 military vehicles will also participate, overflowed with about fifty planes. Paracharidists must give Donald Trump an American flag, commander -in -chief.
This unusual exhibition in the United States: the last important military parade dates back to more than 30 years, in 1991, after the Gulf War, it is particularly significant at the beginning of a mandate in which the New York billionaire exceeds both the limits of presidential power.
“We are going to celebrate our country to change,” Donald Trump plastrian.
Even the climate, which runs the risk of being stormy, does not worry: “It doesn’t matter, it does not bother the tanks at all, it does not bother the soldiers, they are used, they are robust.”
“The climatic conditions are closely monitored, but nothing changes at this stage,” said the army on Friday.
“Who does not like a great birthday party for its 250 anniversary?” Colonel Kamil Sztalkoper said AFP, referring to the birthday of the US army held on Saturday, anticipating a “very warm welcome.”
For Scott Konopasek, who served 15 years in the US army, this parade, in the quantified budget at $ 45 million, is, on the contrary, “a horrible idea.”
“Dictatorial trend”
If hundreds of thousands of spectators are expected, the “No Reyes” movement aims to be “the most important since the return to Donald Trump”. The slogan had been launched before the demonstrations against the brutal arrests of immigrants are born in Los Angeles and swarm throughout the country in recent days. These could make the ranks grow on Saturday.
In the Megalopolis of California, the organizers hope to gather more than 25,000 people and plan to raise a giant balloon that represents Donald Trump dressed in a Russian military uniform to protest “against their paramilitary methods and their dictatorial trends” in the air.
In New York, a “revised parade” in front of the Trump tower, in Manhattan, demands a “army of creative activism.” From Philadelphia to Phoenix, demonstrations are provided in hundreds of other cities of all sizes.
For protesters, Donald Trump promised to respond “with great force”, calling them “people who hate our country.” “The president is, of course, favorable to peaceful demonstrations,” said the White House.
In the first line of the opposition to the Republican President since the latter decided to mobilize thousands of soldiers in Los Angeles, the Democratic governor of California Gavin Newsom asked Americans to “resist” and “do not lean”, in an offensive speech at the beginning of the week.
From the military parade, “this is the kind of things you see with Kim Jong Un, with Putin, with dictators around the world,” he laments. “Honoring him on his birthday? Is it deadly.”
The idea was a long time in the head of Donald Trump, inspired by the Parisian parade of July 14 in the Elyshand fields he attended in 2017.
Source: BFM TV
