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Demonstrators flood Gig Harbor streets for ‘No Kings’ protest

While tanks and other military equipment — including missiles and rocket launchers — rumbled down the streets of Washington, D.C., demonstrators of all ages crowded the sidewalks of Point Fosdick and Olympic drives in  Gig Harbor on Saturday, June 14.

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The No Kings protest at the corner of Point Fosdick and Olympic drives in Gig Harbor on Saturday, June 14. Photo by Carolyn Bick © Carolyn Bick

The demonstrators came out to exercise their constitutional right to free speech, protesting against President Donald Trump and his administration.

The Gig Harbor demonstration was one of thousands around the country — dubbed “No Kings” protests — on June 14, Trump’s birthday.

Indivisible, a nationwide organization created to speak out against the Trump administration, coordinated the protests. At least 1,000 people attended the Gig Harbor protest. Organizers estimated the crowd at three or four times that number.

In D.C., the Army had originally planned a small ceremony to commemorate its 250th anniversary, which is also June 14. But, after Trump’s election, that small ceremony warped into a massive spectacle that included 6,700 soldiers, 150 military vehicles, 50 aircraft, and 34 horses.

The parade is reported to have cost taxpayers $40 million.

The No Kings protest at the corner of Point Fosdick and Olympic drives in Gig Harbor on Saturday, June 14. Photo by Carolyn Bick © Carolyn Bick

In the United States, military parades have traditionally been reserved for the end of conflicts. Some have compared the parade to those thrown by dictators throughout history, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, and China’s Xi Jinping.