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Scottsdale, Ariz. — Saturday morning, progressive activists across the nation protested against President Donald Trump and the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary parade in Washington, D.C.
Blaze News was on the ground in Scottsdale, Arizona, where one of the roughly 2,000 No Kings demonstrations occurred.
'Stop the coup.'
Rally-goers were set to meet at the southwest corner of Scottsdale Road and Camelback Road, directly across the street from Scottsdale Fashion Square, a shopping center. In May 2020, this mall endured millions of dollars in damages during the Black Lives Matter riots, leading to dozens of arrests for looting and criminal damage. Those events left lingering fears among some locals that Saturday's protest could spark similar destruction.
On Saturday morning, a few hundred protesters gathered in the area, spreading across all sides of the intersection and occasionally spilling into nearby blocks. Concrete barriers kept the crowd, which mostly included adults in their 50s and older, from blocking traffic.
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A strong law enforcement presence monitored the area, with local police patrolling the perimeter and periodically moving through the crowd, maintaining order without incident.
Protesters attending the No Kings rallies, which were reportedly backed by 198 groups with $2.1 billion in annual revenue, were encouraged to show up at the events with American flags to "reclaim" national symbols.
In Arizona, protesters lined the sidewalks with stars and stripes and signs criticizing Trump and Elon Musk. Several flags and signs featured "1776" and other patriotic imagery and rhetoric typically seen at conservative rallies.
At one point, protesters played Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A.," while one demonstrator held a sign reading, "No one is illegal."
Other signs declared, "Oppression is the mask of fear," "Hands off our NPR," and "Stop the coup."
One protester's sign, reading "American made guillotines 'fit for a king,'" stood out as the most provocative.
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Many passing vehicles honked their horns in support of the gathering.
While there did not appear to be any significant presence of counter-protesters, several individuals with pro-Trump decals and flags drove by to show their support for the president.
The protest, which remained peaceful, largely fizzled out by the early afternoon.
Several other No Kings demonstrations occurred across the Phoenix metropolitan area. Local news estimated that "thousands" participated.
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