'No Kings Day': Thousands to protest Trump in Metro Detroit and across the country

DETROIT (FOX 2) – Saturday is a big day in American democracy as thousands of “No Kings Day” protests are set to take place around the country, with many across metro Detroit slated as well.

Local perspective:

Demonstrators will take to Detroit, Ann Arbor, Ferndale, Dearborn and several other towns to protest the Trump agenda on the same day President Trump holds a parade in Washington honoring the 250th birthday of the Army.

Detroit Police say they expect these protests to continue a tradition of peaceful demonstrations, but they will be looking out for bad actors.

The same is true for Ferndale, even all the way up to the Attorney General’s office.

Both political sides say this should all be about exercising free speech.

On a Farmington Hills bridge overlooking I-696, liberal demonstrators got a head start on the “No Kings Day” protests slated for this weekend, pushing back against President Donald Trump’s MAGA agenda – the same day the Commander-in-Chief hosts the Army’s 250th Birthday Parade in Washington.

Big picture view:

More than 1800 “No Kings” protests around the nation are set to coincide with the Army parade Saturday which also happens to be the President’s 79th birthday.

Similar gatherings are planned for Detroit, Ferndale and Ann Arbor. 

Both sides are hoping the events are largely peaceful.

“As long they are non-violence and they’re actually protests that are peaceful, and they represent their First Amendment rights, I honor those types of protests – even if I disagree with them. That’s one of the reasons why I served in the Army is to make sure everyone has the right to their free speech,” said former state lawmaker Andrew “Rocky” Raczkowski.

Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel’s team will be watching closely.

“I think it’s going to be largely peaceful,” she said. “Will there be a few bad apples here and there that seek to take advantage of the situation to make trouble? Probably. But I have every confidence in the world that local law enforcement will be able to handle it.”

Dig deeper:

Both sides say they do not expect a repeat of the violent clashes in L.A. in the aftermath of ICE raids being conducted amid disagreements between federal and Golden State authorities.

“You had ICE that was coming in and making a number of arrests, and they were doing it without coordinating at all with local law enforcement, so local law enforcement wasn’t there to ensure, you know, that the public was safe,” Nessel said.

Organizers say “No Kings” is about much more than immigration.