“No Kings” protests across the US don’t start with the National Guard on standby

A planned demonstration against President Donald Trump began in New York City, the first of more than 2,500 rallies organized coast-to-coast across the United States on Saturday.

Thousands have already packed Times Square for the event organized by No Kings, a coalition of left-leaning groups.

The demonstrations organized under its banner in June attracted more than five million people across the country and were largely peaceful.

Trump’s allies accused the demonstrators of allying themselves with the far-left Antifa movement, and condemned what they called the “America Hate March.”

Republican governors in several US states have placed National Guard forces on alert, but it is unclear how clear the military presence is.

Protests are expected to continue across the country throughout the day. In Washington, D.C., Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is expected to be the keynote speaker, with events beginning around noon local time.

Protest organizers say the gathering will challenge Trump’s “tyranny.”

“The president believes his rule is absolute,” they say on their website.

But in America we have no kings, and we will not back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty.”

Across Europe, demonstrators took to the streets in Berlin, Madrid and Rome to show solidarity with their American counterparts.

In an interview with Fox News, scheduled to air Sunday but teased Saturday, Trump appeared to address upcoming rallies.

“King! This is not business,” Trump said in a preliminary clip of the interview. “You know – they refer to me as a king. I’m not a king.”

“We’re going to have to get the National Guard out,” Kansas State Senator Roger Marshall said before the marches, according to CNN.

“I hope it’s peaceful. I doubt it.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday activated the state’s National Guard ahead of a scheduled protest in Austin, the state capital.

He said the troops would be needed because of a “planned demonstration associated with the Antifa movement.”

Democrats denounced the move, including the state’s top Democrat, Gene Wu, who said: “Sending armed soldiers to quell peaceful protests is what kings and tyrants do — and Greg Abbott has proven to be one of them.”

Republican Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin also ordered the activation of the state’s National Guard.

Celebrities expected to attend the No Kings rallies include Jane Fonda, Kerry Washington, John Legend, Alan Cumming and John Leguizamo.