Trump threatens protesters with “very heavy force”

Donald Trump isn’t kidding with protesters ahead of his gigantic military parade planned for his birthday, June 14th, which coincides with the 250th anniversary of the U.S. military.

The president sternly warned them that they would face “very heavy force” if they attempted to express their criticism of the government that day by exercising their right to peaceful assembly guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution.

For several days, Trump has been in open conflict with the governor of California and the mayor of Los Angeles, after deploying the National Guard and Navy units without their approval, in response to protests denouncing ICE raids deemed aggressive against undocumented migrants.

In some cases, ICE targeted workplaces, as well as schools where children celebrated their graduation, fuelling a climate of fear within the communities concerned.

A vast national mobilization is gearing up under the name “No Kings”, with major demonstrations planned for the day of the military parade and the president’s birthday, in opposition to all his policies deemed authoritarian. This growing protest seems to be deeply irritating Donald Trump.

Many point out that Trump’s statements against participants in the “No Kings” protests, planned in all 50 states, fail to distinguish between peaceful and violent protesters, and that the president implies that all would be motivated by their hatred of the country in order to stir up anger and violence against them.

“If there’s any protester that wants to come out, they will be met with very big force,” he told reporters in the Oval Office, adding that Americans would be celebrating “big” at his military parade, which many compared to those held in authoritarian regimes like North Korea.