The protests, known as the No Kings Nationwide Day of Defiance, are a response to what the organisers describe as a shift towards authoritarianism and the militarisation of democracy. They are expected to be the largest since Donald Trump began his second term in the White House.

Across the country, relatively few disruptions were reported during protests and marches where the mood ranged from joyful to defiant.

Protesters across Southern California and the country took to the streets for ‘No Kings’ demonstrations against President Trump and the $45-million celebration of the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday, which coincides with Trump’s 79th.

There's been a heavy crackdown in Los Angeles after more than a week of protests over US immigration raids. Federal police had been targeting undocumented migrants in workplaces across the city. In a marked escalation,

A U.S. appeals court on Thursday allowed President Donald Trump to maintain his deployment of National Guard troops in Los Angeles amid protests over stepped-up immigration enforcement, temporarily pausing a lower court ruling that blocked the mobilization.