President Donald Trump escalated his threatening rhetoric about demonstrators on Tuesday, warning that anyone who comes out to protest his long-awaited military parade this weekend will be met with “very heavy force.”
The Saturday parade — which happens to fall on the president’s birthday — is meant to celebrate the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary and will feature a massive amount of military equipment and thousands of soldiers in Washington, D.C.
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The estimated $45 million event is supposed to flaunt the strength of the U.S. military, but also arrives at a time the president faces nationwide backlash for deploying American troops to quell protests against federal immigration raids. Trump has increased his harmful rhetoric about immigrants and protesters over the last several days, and on Tuesday, he relayed his threat to those who may interfere with the parade.
“If there’s any protest that wants to come out, they will be met with very big force, by the way. And for those people that want to protest, they’re gonna be met with very big force,” the president said from the Oval Office.
“And I haven’t even heard about a protest — but you know, this is people that hate our country,” he continued. “But they will be met with very heavy force.”
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The large military presence has resulted in mass arrests and increased violence, though similar demonstrations have since been sparked in other major cities across the country — including Washington. Trump said on Tuesday that those cities can expect ICE raids like those in LA, and that the National Guard will remain in California “until there’s no danger.”
The parade and all-day festival on Saturday is expected to draw big crowds into Washington, with the president telling reporters the event will be “incredible.”
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Army spokesman Steve Warren told reporters last month that the service welcomes peaceful protests. Trump has a history of forcefully responding to demonstrations in the city. However, U.S. Secret Service said on Monday that they were tracking a few small protests but did not expect any violence.
