Tight security ensured a family-oriented atmosphere at the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary parade despite liberal opposition and protests nearby. Thousands converged on downtown Alexandria, Virginia, to protest President Donald Trump and the parade celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, while security measures were heightened in the District of Columbia ahead of the event.
The loosely structured ‘No Kings’ movement, notably supported by Walmart heiress Chrissy Walton, planned to hold dozens of protests across the United States. The protest in Alexandria, where Vice President JD Vance’s private residence is located, reportedly attracted crowds ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 people, as described on X accounts. The protest was seen as an appropriate location due to Alexandria’s history as the closest city to George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate.
Independent Women’s Forum official Julie Gunlock shared an account of the event on X, featuring images of demonstrators waving signs that said ‘I like my ICE crushed,’ ‘King of Farts,’ and ‘Happy Obama Appreciation Day.’ Another X post captured a growing crowd in Market Square as the closing bars of the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ played from a boombox, with a protester noting the event’s location as a fitting place to oppose a supposed king.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin warned potential troublemakers Friday, stating he had integrated the Virginia National Guard with the Virginia State Police to protect life, property, and egress on the Commonwealth’s roadways. ‘We cannot allow people to put people’s lives in jeopardy by disrupting traffic or anything along those lines,’ Youngkin told reporters. ‘And so, if you break the law, you’re going to get arrested.’ He emphasized that he would protect everyone’s constitutional rights, but those who break the law would face consequences.
Protests also emerged in Hampton Roads, Virginia, as Trump’s parade was taking shape just across the Potomac River. A co-organizer of the Norfolk, Virginia, ‘No Kings’ protest stated, ‘This is not his kingdom. We are not his subjects,’ in comments to The Virginian-Pilot. ‘This isn’t about politics. This is about honor,’ another demonstrator told the paper.
In Washington, thousands also converged ahead of the parade, wearing patriotic or pro-Trump gear and MAGA hats. Paradegoers who spoke to Fox News Digital described the event as safe, with tight security measures in place. Security included the Secret Service, police officers, and military personnel stationed along entry checkpoints and walking among the crowd. The parade, which kicked off early, just before 6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, featured law enforcement vetting people attending with metal detectors and pat-downs. Streets surrounding historic spots near the parade route, like the White House and Washington Monument, were shut down and barricaded to bolster safety.
Fox News Digital spotted a handful of protesters carrying signs denouncing Trump as a dictator and Black Lives Matter messages, but the crowd surrounding the entry points for the parade was primarily composed of Trump supporters, veterans, families, and others who came out for the patriotic event. Officials from Walmart reported that advertisements from Walton are ‘in no way connected to or endorsed by Walmart.’