A rare military parade marking the US Army's 250th anniversary has taken place in Washington DC - on Donald Trump's 79th birthday. The event coincided with hundreds of so-called "No Kings" protests against the Trump administration in towns and cities across the US.
Mr Trump said the patriotic spectacle in the capital was going to be a "big day" and admitted: "We want to show off a little bit." It was the first time tanks had rolled through the streets of Washington in more than 30 years. Officials estimated 200,000 people could turn out to see around 6,600 soldiers, 150 vehicles, 50 aircraft and numerous artillery pieces. However, far fewer people appeared to be there - possibly due to the poor weather. The event was also criticised by some as expensive and not in the American tradition. Mr Trump watched alongside the first lady and defence secretary as troops and military hardware filed past, accompanied at times by up-tempo rock music. The event started half an hour early due to forecasted heavy rain, with cloud forcing the cancellation of a flypast by fighter jets. Helicopters such as Apaches, Chinooks and Black Hawks still took part however. Mr Trump had warned that any protesters who interfered would "be met with very big force". Military parachutists from the Golden Knights swooped in at the start of the programme, and some soldiers paraded in historic uniforms, complete with horses and wagons. Vehicles from the Second World War and Vietnam War also took part.
Washington fireworks as missiles fall in Israel and Iran
It was the marking of a birthday that has riled so many across this country. All-American or un-American? Jingoistic or patriotic? Among the crowd in the heart of Washington it felt like a celebration, and it was certainly a show. The United States was born 249 years ago this year. The Continental Army was born a year earlier to deliver a new country from British rule. This is the 250th year of the US Army. There was a salute to the president, of course, but as commander-in-chief, not a nod to his birthday. From General Washington's soldiers, the show was a journey through the centuries – the War of Independence, World Wars and America's wars: Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan. And there was a somewhat unsettling glimpse into the future - drones and robo-dogs passing down Constitution Avenue. For all the talk of this being a political stunt by Donald Trump to celebrate his birthday, it didn't feel like that among the crowds. From those we spoke to, all were there to celebrate the birthday of the army, not the president. Sure, many - maybe most - there love him, but they were there for the Army. But it's the timing, the context beyond the parade, which had shifted the framing of this day. It generated a stark real time split screen, because as the soldiers were marching in Washington, volleys of tear gas were being fired at protesters in Los Angeles. The juxtaposition came at the end of a week when the president deployed the military on America's streets against protesters. It was the only major clash despite over a thousand protests with tens of thousands in towns and cities across the country. "No Kings" was the tag for the biggest nationwide movement of people against what they see as the growing authoritarianism of Donald Trump since he became president again. Back at the parade, it wasn't the moment to mention the division. The president's speech was uncharacteristically free of politics. He focused on what was in front of him. "Every other country celebrates their victories. It's about time America did too. That's what we're doing tonight," he said. Nor did he make any mention of the other stark split-screen. As the Washington show went on, Israel's largest city, Tel Aviv, was under attack. The cameras in Washington caught Trump's Middle East envoy with his eyes on his phone not the parade. And Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, looked like his mind was elsewhere. The night in Washington ended with fireworks. In Israeli and Iranian towns and cities the bangs were from missiles. Mr Trump stood and saluted many of the passing soldiers - and even personally swore in some troops. The US leader is said to have got the idea after being impressed with France's Bastille Day celebrations during a visit in 2017. Metal plates were put down on some of Washington's streets to protect them against the heaviest tanks - especially the 60-ton M1 Abrams. Even so, the US Army set aside several million dollars in case of any damage. The last time such a major display took place in the US was 1991, when tanks and troops paraded to celebrate the ousting of Saddam Hussein's army from Kuwait. Mr Trump paid tribute to the soldiers, saying they "made all Americans very proud" and it was "about time" America publicly celebrated its military. He was joined on the podium by the first lady and presented with the US flag by one of the Golden Knights parachutists. Fireworks then lit up the sky behind the iconic Washington Monument to bring things to a close. Critics had hit out at the event and said it was something more associated with dictatorial regimes such as Russia or North Korea. An estimated cost as high as $45m (£33.33m) also raised eyebrows given Mr Trump's efforts to slash the budget of many federal departments. Among the critics was California governor Gavin Newsom, who has been trading barbs with the president since the
outbreak of riots in LA . He accused the president of forcing troops "to put on a vulgar display to celebrate his birthday, just as other failed dictators have done in the past". The show of military might came as more than 1,500 protests against the Trump administration, organised under the slogan "No Kings", were scheduled to take place across the US on Saturday. Los Angeles was the scene of one demonstration, with police firing tear gas to disperse people after the formal protest ended. Tension is high in America's second-biggest city after recent
raids by immigration officers sparked unrest this week . "No Kings" organisers claimed 200,000 had turned out in New York alone and millions across the country. The name of the protests comes from the accusation that Mr Trump acts more like an authoritarian monarch than a democratically elected head of state.
