This Saturday President Donald Trump is hosting a military parade in honor of the Flag Day holiday and the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Army, which also happens to be his 79th birthday.
In many ways, that alone was destined for a massive counter-event from the Left.
Predictably, Leftist organizations have strung together a series of numerous “No Kings” protests; seemingly coinciding with anti-immigration-enforcement protests, some of which turned destructive in the Los Angeles area.
Trump’s parade consisting of M1 tanks and other war machines parading through D.C. streets is still on this weekend’s agenda, but so are the No Kings events in numerous cities across the U.S.
Trump called National Guardsmen in to Los Angeles to quell the rioting, inviting calls for the National Guard by governors of red states including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott who ordered 5,000 guardsmen and 2,000 state troopers to respond.
The parade and military presence will, of course, be footed by the taxpayers. But who’s behind the No Kings effort, which now boasts thousands of large and small events across the country this weekend? Let’s take a look.
According to the Associated Press, the “No Kings” theme was come up with by the 50501 Movement, “a national movement made up of everyday Americans who stand for democracy and against what they call the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration” (ed note: yes, that’s a direct quote from the AP, not a brochure). The name 50501 stands for 50 states, 50 protests, and one movement according to the AP story. Trump is of course one of the “kings,” with leftists bemoaning his immigration actions and other reforms of the federal branch which have been dismissed as “authoritarian” and “billionaire-first” (a swipe at Elon Musk).
But according to Data Republican, the conflagration of protesters was not “everyday Americans” but moneyed interests from the Left. Financial ties include teachers’ unions, ACLU, AIDS activists, Jewish groups, BLM, “science” groups, climate change fronts, telecommunications unions, Democratic Socialist organizations, feminists, atheists, Greenpeace, anti-Israel PACs, the League of Women Voters, environmentalist funds, Al Sharpton devotees, Planned Parenthood, government worker unions, the Tides Foundation, Unitarians, and to top of “Pride Month” several LGBTQ advocacy groups. Some were uncovered by Data Republican by way of federal filings, but many are on open display on the No Kings website (under “Partners“).
See the whole list of organizations here via Data Republican.
From the hip
On the surface, the Left is fighting on two fronts this Saturday: Trump ‘s “ego” and ongoing immigration enforcement-related protests.
But there’s another dichotomy behind the scenes: 1) avenging the numerous entities that had the plug pulled on them under DOGE, and 2) lamenting these activist groups may soon have to spend their own money on socialist goals and pork-barrel projects that will soon no longer be footed by the taxpayers.
Yet another dichotomy must be considered this weekend: No Kings and the anti-ICE protests were, by and large, organized separately (though obviously Gov. Abbott and others aren’t taking any chances that the two forces might come together into yet another “Summer of Love” round of riots, arson and looting).
No Kings is urging its participants to not turn violent. Via a disclaimer on its website:
A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events.
After Trump sent in the National Guard to the Los Angeles area (to the objection of Gov. Gavin Newsom) the protests (we’ll assume) were not as violent or destructive as they could have become. And the Left is awfully good at flipping narratives:
The View's Sunny Hostin: "I spoke to 5 people that live in LA and they said that these protests were very, very orderly. They weren't violent." pic.twitter.com/vQnLwtNXMY
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) June 11, 2025
Of course they weren’t. And thanks to whom? Meanwhile, back in Realityville … store owners aren’t taking chances.
🚨 UPDATE: Businesses boarding up in Los Angeles.
They're settling into this new normal.
GAVIN NEWSOM WON'T DO A THING!pic.twitter.com/wE9Z82Niq3
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) June 11, 2025
But just when you’re thinking the cultural divide will never be healed, we urge you to look around your local community this Flag Day. Find a local Veterans of Foreign Wars chapter or similar patriotic organization who often host flag retirement ceremonies on June 14.
Many communities are celebrating Juneteenth (June 19) the weekend before. Now there are two Juneteenths: the organic celebration that’s linked to Emancipation in Texas, and the other that is a weaponized attempt at creating an alternative Independence Day. Seek out the former.
At either of these local celebrations you won’t (or aren’t likely to) see tear gas clouds and lines of police squaring off with protesters. You’ll see the civic-minded doing their things, alongside the uniformed and “everyday Americans.”
But wherever you end up on Saturday, keep in mind that all is not lost. Los Angeles county has nearly 10 million people living within its boundaries. Only a small fraction of them are out causing trouble. We can fix this as a country.