A 33-mile trip from one protest in Annapolis, Md., to the parade grandstand in front of the White House was like a journey between two different countries.

The event was one of more than 2,000 “No Kings” rallies held across the country on Saturday, protesting what organizers call “authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics, and the militarization of our democracy.

Democracy is “in real trouble,” Mark Ruffalo told MSNBC’s Antonio Hylton while attending the “No Kings” rally in New York City Saturday. His words were echoed by Ellen Pompeo, Kerry Washington, Jimmy Kimmel, and many more notable people and celebrities who spoke out in support of the nationwide protests.

The rallies were among hundreds of "No Kings" protests held throughout the United States, timed to coincide with a military parade celebrating the 250th birthday of the U.S. Army in Washington, D.C. Saturday was also Trump's 79th birthday.

"In America, we don't do kings," the No Kings website reads. "They've defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services. The corruption has gone too. far. [cq] No thrones. No crowns. No kings."

Trump turned 79 on June 14, 2025, which is the same day as thousands of No Kings Day protests in the US, with some down the road from Mar-a-Lago Club

Elon Musk posted a cryptic message about the "No Kings" protests after activists took to the streets across the U.S. over the weekend.

Leading up to the military parade in Washington, D.C. Saturday, as many as 2,000 cities erupted in a coordinated, nationwide protest.