MILLIONS marched against Donald Trump in towns and cities across the United States over the weekend, in demonstrations dubbed “No Kings” marches highlighting his arbitrary and authoritarian rule.

Demonstrations in Chicago and Seattle attracted over 70,000 protesters, while that in New York rallied 50,000.

The same day, the US president reinforced suspicions of his dictatorial ambitions with a massive military parade on his 79th birthday in Washington DC. Over 100 tanks rolled through the US capital, 6,000 soldiers marched and the army gave its commander in chief a 21-gun salute in a highly unusual pageant for the United States.

Mr Trump claimed 200,000 attended the parade as supporters, though others said this was an overestimate. Officially, the parade was to commemorate 250 years of the US army, though the timing on his birthday raised eyebrows.

US soldiers “fight, fight, fight and they win, win, win,” President Trump declared, despite their humiliating defeat to the Taliban in their last major foreign occupation. The words sounded ominous given his controversial despatch of US marines alongside the California National Guard to smash protests against his mass deportations in Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles demo was attacked by mounted police, who charged the crowds, thrashing protesters with truncheons. Thousands of protesters also faced off in the city against the US marines, jeering them in English and Spanish. In Washington DC itself, a few hundred rallied against the president, carrying signs reading No To Trump’s Fascist Military Parade. A huge puppet of Mr Trump wearing a crown and seated on a golden toilet was wheeled through the crowd.

Police also attacked No Kings demonstrators in Portland, firing tear gas and rubber bullets. In Salt Lake City, one person was critically injured on one of the demos when shot by another person in the crowd. The shooter has been arrested and police had not stated a motive when the Morning Star went to press. In Culpepper, Virginia, a car accelerated into protesters as a rally dispersed, but no serious injuries were reported.

“Today, across red states and blue, rural towns and major cities, Americans stood in peaceful unity and made it clear: we don’t do kings,” the No Kings Coalition said on Saturday evening.