The ‘No Kings Day‘ protests on the occasion of US President Donald Trump‘s birthday descended into unruly chaos on Saturday, June 14. One such hostile development among multiple reports of violence in the United States indicated that four police officers were injured in Portland. Another revolved around a man being arrested for reckless driving in Virginia, as he plowed into a crowd of pedestrians during the US protests.
According to a Daily Mail report, while several thousands of people came together as part of ‘No Kings’ protests downtown in the first half of Saturday, it wasn’t until 6 pm that these demonstrations took a violent turn. As per visuals coming from Portland, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, sporting full-out tactical gear, deployed smoke, tear gas and flash grenades. Their interventions clashed with protesters’ fireworks and water bottles.
US man drives into crowd after ‘lawful’ No Kings protest
As unrest unfolded in Portland, 21-year-old Joseph R Checklick drove an SUV through a crowd of pedestrians in a parking lot in northern Virginia. Authorities have since arrested the man for his intentional reckless act. The official press releases noted that while the US man has been charged with reckless driving, additional charges could be filed in the future.
The Culpeper Police Department stated in the release that Checklick’s apprehension on June 14 followed the “conclusion of a lawful protest event.” Law enforcement witnessed the SUV driver recklessly driving through the crowd as demonstrators were leaving the area and crossing the business parking lot. The 21-year-old man’s intentional acceleration of vehicle struck at least one person. Amid the active and ongoing investigation, officials said that Checklick Jr appeared before a magistrate. He was held without a bond at the Culpeper County Jail.
No Kings protests attendance: How many people came out for anti-Trump demonstrations
The United States saw ‘No Kings Day’ protests kicking off in over 2,100 cities and towns on Saturday as participants convened for what was ultimately recognised as the biggest single-day anti-Trump protest during his second administration. ‘No Kings’ protest organisers further detailed that these demonstrations recorded an influx of more than five million protesters across the country, as per Axios.
On top of that, an additional 300 ‘Kick Out the Clowns’ rallied were held in the country — all emerging in stark contrast to Trump’s planned military parade on his 79th birthday and the 250th anniversary of the US Army.