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A nationwide series of protests branded "No Kings Day" is expected to unfold across more than 800 cities and towns in the United States Saturday.
The demonstrations—organized to counter a planned military parade in Washington, D.C. celebrating President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday and the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army—have drawn concern from both public safety officials and ordinary Americans wary of unrest.
While organizers have promoted the events as peaceful, many remember how similarly framed protests in recent years spiraled into violence.
Violence in Los Angeles – which began as a peaceful rally that devolved into chaos, with storefronts left vandalized, American flags burned, and police officers injured – looms large ahead of the planned protests.
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Protests are erupting across the U.S. on Saturday, June 14 against President Trump's planned military parade in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)
Police on alert: safety and order are top prioritiesRetired police sergeant and law enforcement consultant Matthew Fagiana told Fox News Digital that police across the country are on high alert, with plans in motion to protect residents, property, and public order.
"Certainly, with everything going on across the country right now, all agencies are watching," Fagiana said. "They’re focused on their own intelligence, preparing to prevent the kind of violent stuff that we’ve seen in places like L.A. from happening again."
Fagiana said law enforcement is operating on two priorities: ensuring safety and monitoring intelligence.
"Safety is people first—protesters, bystanders, law enforcement—and obviously, property. Our communities expect us to protect their homes, their businesses, and their livelihoods," he said. "The good news is that law enforcement in 2025 shares intel nationwide. We’re watching this closely."
A large banner with the image of President Donald Trump hangs outside the Department of Agriculture near where a U.S. Army Bradley Fighting Vehicle is displayed ahead of this weekend's celebration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the Army on the National Mall on June 12, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Getty Images )
Tips for residentsFagiana urged the public to stay informed and situationally aware.
"Put that phone up. Be looking, be listening. Follow your local law enforcement on social media. They’re posting where protests are scheduled and how to avoid them," he advised.
Protesters gather on the National Mall for the "Hands-Off" protest against the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (DOMINIC GWINN/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
He also encouraged parents to talk to their kids, especially teens who may be traveling alone through public areas, about safety.
He added that people shouldn’t mistake a strong law enforcement presence for provocation.
Presence does not mean pressure.
— Matthew Fagiana, retired police sergeant and law enforcement consultant"Presence doesn’t mean pressure," he said. "We’re there to deter crime, deter violence, and be visible for the people who expect us to keep their neighborhoods safe."
Fagiana stressed that law enforcement officers bracing for civil unrest are not against free speech but committed to stopping destruction.
"Law enforcement supports peaceful protest—it’s a cornerstone of our democracy," said Fagiana. "But we do not support violence, attacks on officers, or damage to communities."
PROTESTERS EXPECTED TO CONVERGE ON DC, NEIGHBORING CITIES AHEAD OF TRUMP'S MILITARY PARADE
US Army soldiers dressed in historic uniforms ahead of the US Army's 250th Anniversary Parade in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, June 13, 2025. US President Donald Trump will host a military parade marking the 250th birthday of the US Army, as well as his own 79th birthday, on June 14. (Eric Thayer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
A call for calmIn the wake of previous protests that led to significant destruction and inflamed distrust, Fagiana emphasized that clear communication between law enforcement and residents matters.
"If you’re at a protest and have doubts or questions, go talk to a police officer. Don’t speculate but ask. Most officers are there to help and will tell you what’s going on," he said.
Demonstrators hold various signs including "The Power of the People" and "No Kings No Royalty" at a pro-democracy rally in Hancock Adams Common in Massachusetts on April 19, 2025. (Erin Clark/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Organizers of the "No Kings" movement insist that this weekend’s events will remain peaceful. Public Citizen Co-President Lisa Gilbert told Fox News Digital that the protests are intended to be "peaceful, patriotic and focused on what regular Americans want and need."
"The Trump administration is weaponizing our military domestically as a political tool. They are escalating tensions rather than resolving them, and our events will not play into their need for more chaos," she said.
"Instead of allowing Trump’s bombastic military parade to be the center of gravity, we hope to make peaceful action everywhere else the story this Saturday. People will be coming together in communities across the country to reject strongman politics and corruption."
Gilbert also emphasized that organizers have trained in de-escalation and are coordinating closely with local partners to keep events safe and orderly.
President Donald Trump arrives at the America 250 celebration at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, N.C., Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)
Trump has warned that potential rioters in Washington, D.C., who target the military parade will face "heavy force."
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"People that want to protest will be met with big force," Trump said Tuesday. "But this is people that hate our country. They will be met with heavy force."
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a U.S. Writer at Fox News Digital.
Since joining in 2021, she’s covered high-stakes criminal justice—from the Menendez brothers’ resentencing, where Judge Jesic slashed their life-without-parole terms to 50-years-to-life (making them parole-eligible), to the assassination attempts on President Donald Trump's life and shifting immigration enforcement, including her reporting on South Florida’s illegal-immigration crisis, covering unprecedented migrant crossings from the Bahamas and ensuing enforcement operations.
Beyond those beats, she reports on crime, politics, business, lifestyle, world news, and more—delivering both breaking updates and in-depth analysis across Fox News Digital. You can follow her on Twitter and LinkedIn.