Mark Ruffalo, Jimmy Kimmel, and more protest against Donald Trump
What's the story
On Saturday (local time), thousands of Americans held demonstrations against President Donald Trump's alleged authoritarian behavior. The demonstrations were held under the banner of the "No Kings" movement and saw numerous celebrities joining in. Many A-list celebrities showed up, such as Mark Ruffalo, Jimmy Kimmel, Glenn Close, Kerry Washington, Ayo Edebiri, Gracie Abrams, and Anna Kendrick.
Event details
Protests v/s Trump's birthday celebrations
The protests were held in contrast to a grand military parade in Washington, DC, celebrating the founding of the US Army. The event also marked Trump's 79th birthday. Demonstrators carried signs with messages like "No KKKings," "No crown for the clown," and "The Trump fascist regime must go now!"
Celebrity statements
'Our democracy is in real trouble,' says Ruffalo
Ruffalo in New York City, told MSNBC that they were protesting because their "democracy is in real trouble." He added, "We see a president who has made himself a king and dictator... We don't see an opposition that's powerful enough to stand up against the trampling of our rights and the trampling of the Constitution." Kimmel also joined protesters in San Francisco with his parents.
Social media posts
Messages of solidarity from Kendrick, Edebiri, and Abrams
Edebiri took to her Instagram Stories to show support for the protest, with a sign that read, "I love you & I have your back! Stay brave!" Singer Abrams also posted protest placards on her Instagram Stories, which read, "Free speech is not an insurrection" and "If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor," which is a famous quote by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Protest dynamics
Some arrests reported in NYC
While the majority of protests remained peaceful, NYC police reported that at least four arrests were made at a smaller protest targeting the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. This comes after widespread outrage over Trump's administration's March deportations of over 250 Venezuelans to an El Salvador mega-prison, accused, without trial, of being linked to the Tren de Aragua gang, a government-designated terrorist organization.