President Donald Trump is set to hold a military parade in Washington, DC, on Saturday that happens to be on his 79th birthday.
Trump is hosting the parade that coincides with Flag Day to celebrate the US Army’s 250th anniversary. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to gather at the country’s capital for the parade and accompanying festivities.
‘We’re going to celebrate our country for a change,’ Trump said from the Oval Office on Tuesday.
Here is everything to know about Trump’s military parade.
When is Trump’s military parade?
The 250th Anniversary of the US Army Grand Military Parade will start at 6.30pm on Saturday.
It is expected to wrap up by 9.30pm.
Guests will be allowed to enter the event area starting at 2pm, with the entrance at 7th Street by the National Mall.
Tickets are free and two can be reserved per phone number at the website of America250, a bipartisan initiative created by Congress.
Where will the parade take place?
The parade will take place near the National Mall on Constitution Avenue NW, in between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, the map shows.
It will start on 23rd Street close to the Lincoln Memorial and end at 15th Street by the Washington Monument.
Guests will be able to watch the parade from the Washington Monument grounds and along Constitution Avenue NW.
There will be numerous major road closures around the National Mall including Constitution Avenue NW, Independence Avenue ,Virginia Avenue, Rock Creek Parkway and the Arlington Memorial Bridge, according to the map.
What will happen at the parade?
About 6,000 Army soldiers in uniform will march in the parade.
Additionally, 150 Army vehicles including the Abrams tank and 50 aircraft like the Black Hawk will be deployed.
The celebration will highlight each of the Army’s eras: the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, the Global War on Terror, the modern Army and the future of the Army.
Trump will deliver remarks on the Army’s ‘significant achievements’ and ‘enduring legacy’ later in the evening.
Will there be protests around Trump’s parade?
More than 2,000 ‘No Kings Day’ protests are planned across the nation to push back on Trump’s parade and his policies.
The largest protest will take place in Philadelphia. Most of the protests are scheduled to happen in the morning, but demonstrations in the west could happen simultaneously with the parade kickoff.
‘We are ceding downtown DC. Trump can have it for that day, and instead, we’re organizing literally everywhere else,’ Ezra Levin, co-executive director of the progressive group Indivisible organizing them, told ABC News.
The parade is expected to cost up to $45million.
What has Trump said about the parade and protests?
Trump on Tuesday warned he could use ‘heavy force’ on ‘any’ protesters that show up at the military parade. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later clarified that Trump ‘of course’ supports peaceful protests.
The president has also denied a connection between the parade timing and his birthday, sayign that June 14 is also Flag Day.
Trump on Thursday disagreed with the ‘No Kings Day’ name for the protests.
‘I don’t feel like a king. I have to go through hell to get stuff approved,’ he said.
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