Donald Trump will be rolling out the tanks this Saturday to hold his Hitler-style birthday parade in Washington D.C. And as comedian John Oliver not-so-jokingly said during Trump's first term, "This is not normal…It is f*cked up."
But Saturday, June 14, also happens to be Flag Day, and what better way to celebrate the United States and what it stands for than by hitting the streets with thousands of others in 1,800 peaceful protests across America to say "no thrones, no crowns, no kings."
The No Kings Day events will be held in every U.S. state, organized by the anti-authoritarian group Indivisible, who says Trump 2.0 "has gone too far."
"In America, we don't do kings," their website states. "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."
Indivisible statement:
If you've been listening to us over the last few months, you've heard us talk about the idea of autocratic breakthrough — a period when a would-be dictator basically sprints to consolidate their power, crush the institutions and people who could push back, and create a chilling climate for everyone else.
For the would-be dictator, success depends on projecting power and creating an aura of inevitability. They need you to believe that Trump is the new normal, that the MAGA movement will be in power for the long haul, that the only rational move is to go along, keep your head down, and protect your own interests.
We've seen over the last six months what happens when this aura of inevitability goes unchallenged. Institutions — from state governments to businesses to civil society to higher education to media — start to fall in line, do what Trump tells them, and/or go silent.
Here's the thing: The aura of inevitability is a lie. It's all a lie. Power in American society doesn't derive from the top down. Trump's grasp is brittle, and he's overreaching dramatically. He will only succeed if everyone agrees to believe the lie.
One protestor might not make a difference, but in what is expected to be the largest MAGA protest so far, it serves as a way for true patriots to meet face to face, network, strategize, and get the message out there before fascism truly takes hold. Here's a map to see where your nearest No Kings event will take place.
Previously: The perfect answer to "God Made Trump" video is "God Made a Dictator"
