A lot is planned for this Flag Day, from several protests of President Donald Trump's policies to a papal speech to a military parade in Washington.
Palm Beach Post
There's going to be a lot going on this Flag Day, from protests to a papal speech to a military parade.
Seven demonstrations are planned in Palm Beach County on June 14 as part of nationwide day of opposition to policies enacted by the Trump administration. They will mark a renewal of dissent following a series of gatherings at Tesla showrooms to air criticism of Elon Musk and the administration's cost-cutting measures this spring.
In all, 17 so-called "No Kings" rallies and marches will take place in South Florida, stretching from Palm Beach Gardens to Key West.
"The flag doesn’t belong to President Trump. It belongs to us. We’re not watching history happen. We’re making it," the organizational website for the day of mobilization declared. "On June 14th, we’re showing up everywhere he isn’t — to say no thrones, no crowns, no kings."
The ones in Palm Beach County will take place at:
In addition, a car caravan beginning at the Fifth Avenue Shoppes will take place in Boca Raton followed by a rally. In West Palm Beach, marchers will gather at Phipps Skate Park for a march to Trump's Mar-a-Lago club followed by a rally.
Trump will mark birthday by attending military parade
But aside from the protests, June 14, officially Flag Day on the federal holiday calendar, will be a busy day of politics in America. The date is also President Donald Trump's 79th birthday, and he will be feted, in part, with the largest military parade since the end of the first Gulf War in 1991.
The procession was officially scheduled to mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Army. The event, which will reportedly cost between $30 million and $45 million, will feature tanks rolling through the streets of Washington, D.C., as military aircraft fly overhead and as many as 7,500 soldiers march.
The White House issued a statement on May 21 saying the president would "join veterans, active-duty troops, wounded warriors, Gold Star Families, and Patriotic Americans from across the country to celebrate our heroes who have protected our country through strength and selflessness" in what it billed as a "a grand military parade."
The statement added: "This historic event will commemorate the legacy and enduring strength of the U.S. Army, while looking boldly toward the next 250 years of American patriotism and technological advancement. The event is designed not only to showcase the Army’s modern capabilities but also to inspire a new generation to embrace the spirit of service, resilience, and leadership that defines the United States."
Trump, who celebrated his birthday last year by giving a speech to the Club 47 fan group at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, will preside over the parade as commander in chief.
In between the protests and the military parade, Pope Leo XIV will give a virtual speech to a gathering in his hometown of Chicago. The pope, who was critical of Trump's immigration policies as cardinal, chided the surge in "political nationalism" while celebrating mass at the Vatican on June 8.
"Where there is love, there is no room for prejudice, for 'security' zones separating us from our neighbors, for the exclusionary mindset that, tragically, we now see emerging also in political nationalisms," the pontiff said.