Washington parade celebrates US Army’s 250th anniversary and Donald Trump’s 79th birthday

A rare military parade marking the US Army’s 250th anniversary – and President Trump’s 79th birthday – has taken place in Washington DC.

The event coincided with hundreds of so-called “No Kings” protests against the Trump administration in towns and cities across the US.

President Trump said the patriotic spectacle in the capital was going to be a “big day” and admitted: “We want to show off a little bit.”

It was the first time tanks had rolled through the streets of Washington in more than 30 years.

Officials estimated 200,000 people could turn out to see around 6,600 soldiers, 150 vehicles, 50 aircraft and numerous artillery pieces.

However, far fewer appeared to be there – possibly due to the poor weather.

The event was also criticised by some as expensive and not in the American tradition.

Mr Trump watched alongside the first lady and defence secretary as troops and military hardware filed past, accompanied at times by up-tempo rock music.

The event started half an hour early due to forecasted heavy rain, with cloud forcing the cancellation of a flypast by fighter jets.

Helicopters such as Apaches, Chinooks and Black Hawks still took part however.

President Trump had warned any protesters who interfered would “be met with very big force”.

Military parachutists from the Golden Knights swooped in at the start of the programme, and some soldiers paraded in historic uniforms, complete with horses and wagons.

Vehicles from the Second World War and Vietnam War also took part.

President Trump stood and saluted many of the passing soldiers – and even personally swore in some troops.

The US leader is said to have got the idea after being impressed with France’s Bastille Day celebrations during a visit in 2017.

Metal plates were put down on some of Washington’s streets to protect them against the heaviest tanks – especially the 60-ton M1 Abrams.

Even so, the US Army set aside several million dollars in case of any damage.

The last time such a major display took place in the US was 1991 when tanks and troops paraded to celebrate the ousting of Saddam Hussein’s army from Kuwait.

President Trump paid tribute to the soldiers, saying they “made all Americans very proud” and it was “about time” America publicly celebrated its military.

He was joined on the podium by the first lady and presented with the US flag by one of the Golden Knights parachutists.

Fireworks then lit up the sky behind the iconic Washington Monument to bring things to a close.

Critics had hit out at the event and said it was something more associated with dictatorial regimes such as Russia or North Korea.

An estimated cost as high as $45m (£33.33m) also raised eyebrows given Mr Trump’s efforts to slash the budget of many federal departments.

Not everyone was happy with the parade

Among the critics was California governor Gavin Newsom, who has been trading barbs with the president since the outbreak of riots in LA.

He accused the president of forcing troops “to put on a vulgar display to celebrate his birthday, just as other failed dictators have done in the past”.

The show of military might came as more than 1,500 protests against the Trump administration, organised under the slogan ‘No Kings’, were scheduled to take place across the US on Saturday.

Los Angeles was the scene of one demonstration, with police firing tear gas to disperse people after the formal protest ended.

Tension is high in America’s second-biggest city after recent raids by immigration officers sparked unrest this week.

Other large demos happened on Saturday in San Diego, Atlanta, Denver, Portland and Chicago – where police estimated a crowd of about 15,000 people with just one arrest

‘No Kings’ organisers claimed 200,000 had turned out in New York alone and millions across the country.

The name of the protests comes from the accusation President Trump acts more like an authoritarian monarch than a democratically elected head of state.