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A giant orange balloon depicting  Donald Trump in a diaper towered over one “No Kings” protest Saturday, as hundreds of thousands thronged streets across the United States to decry the president’s policies.Protest organizers expected rallies in all 50 US states, calling them the largest since Trump returned to office in January, with the aim of “rejecting authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics, and the militarization of our democracy.”Wielding signs with messages like “No KKKings” and “No crown for the clown,” the protests stood in stark contrast to a massive military parade in Washington on Saturday.The parade was meant to commemorate the founding of the US Army, but also fell on the president’s 79th birthday.As thousands of soldiers marched and tanks rumbled through Washington’s streets, protesters across the country slammed Trump as a “fascist.””We have a dictator,” said Robin Breed, a 56-year-old retired nurse, in Austin, Texas, where thousands demonstrated while surrounded by hundreds of police and state troopers.”He is trampling on people’s lives, he’s militarizing our streets, he is terrorizing our communities,” he said, insisting it was important “to push back and say it’s our country, not his.”In New York, tens of thousands of people, many wearing raincoats and carrying colorful umbrellas, marched down Fifth Avenue in a downpour to the sounds of drums, bells and chants of “Hey hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go!”Actors Susan Sarandon and Mark Ruffalo were seen getting drenched among the protesters.- ‘Outraged’ -“I’m miserable and outraged about how this administration is destroying the ideals of the American Constitution,” Polly Shulman, a 62-year-old museum employee, told AFP.Holding a sign reading “Protect the Constitution,” she said the most shocking thing was “the illegal deportations of law-abiding residents.They were “being kidnapped and disappeared and sent to torture prisons in foreign countries.”In March, the Trump administration expelled more than 250 Venezuelans to a mega-prison in El Salvador after accusing them of being members of the Tren de Aragua criminal gang, which it has declared a terrorist organization.At least four protesters in New York were arrested at a separate, smaller protest against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, police said.- ‘Mad as hell’ -“I think people are mad as hell,” said Lindsay Ross, a 28-year-old musician who urged others to show “the administration that we’re not going to take this.”Bill Kennedy, a retired psychologist from Pennsylvania, was in Washington protesting a few hours before Trump’s $45 million parade.”I’m tired of the current administration. I think they’re a bunch of fascists,” he said, describing the military parade as “ridiculous.”Suzanne Brown in Boston also lamented the money spent on the parade “for one man’s vanity.”Massive “No Kings” protests were also underway in Los Angeles, which in recent days has been rocked by demonstrations over the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, as federal agents swept up even law-abiding undocumented people. On Saturday, protesters shouted “You are not welcome here” at some of the 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines that Trump dispatched to the city against the wishes of local and state authorities. With a giant orange Trump-in-a-diaper balloon towering above them, thousands filled the city streets, sporting slogans like “No faux-king way” and “Impeach Trump.”Members of Russian feminist protest and performance art group Pussy Riot held up a large banner in front of city hall warning: “It’s beginning to look a lot like Russia.” After a day of largely peaceful protests, police on Saturday evening unexpectedly began moving people away from the protest area, igniting confusion and anger among demonstrators caught off guard and unsure of where to go.Police on horseback pushed crowds back as law enforcement fired tear gas and flash-bang grenades hours ahead of an 8:00 pm (0300 GMT) curfew. A police spokeswoman said a “small group of agitators” had begun throwing rocks, bottles and fireworks at officers, prompting the decision to order the crowd to disperse.If people refused to leave, “we will make arrests,” she said, adding: “We have been patient all day.” There was unrest elsewhere, too, with at least one person “critically injured” in a shooting at a demonstration in the western US city of Salt Lake City, police said, with local media reporting the incident took place at a “No Kings” rally.In Virginia, police said a man in Culpeper “intentionally” rammed his car into a group of demonstrators as they left an anti-Trump event. No injuries were reported.

They came armed with their wit and, pieces of cardboard: US protesters used “No Kings” parades on Saturday to mock US President Donald Trump with some inventive signs.”Go to therapy Donald. Authoritarianism is not self-care,” read one placard in front of the federal building in Los Angeles, the focus of more than a week of protests over a Trump-ordered crackdown on immigration.”Trump has a mugshot, my father does not,” said one sign, a reference to Trump’s 2023 arrest in Georgia that produced one of the most famous police photographs in the world.One man in a suit stood in front of uniformed soldiers deployed by the president, wearing a big smile and carrying a sign that said: “You’re taking orders from a draft dodger.” In New York, a protester held a board referencing Trump’s infamous election debate claims — widely debunked — that migrants were consuming people’s pets.”They’re eating the checks. They’re eating the balances,” it said.In Denver, a sign said: “Elect a clown, expect a circus,” while back in Los Angeles others picked up the theme: “No crown for the clown.”In a city with a vibrant LGBTQ scene, there was no shortage of references to the community.”Yaas queens! No kings,” said one sign.Other slogans were very specific to the sprawling metropolis.”In LA, only Kobe is King,” read one placard carried by a man wearing a Los Angeles Lakers kit, in homage to legendary guard Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash in 2020.”The only ICE I want is in my matcha” and “ICE melts in California,” said others, taking aim at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers whose raids on workplaces and farms sparked anger.Some signs referenced what they claimed was creeping “fascism” in the United States, with at least one photo of Trump doctored with a mustache to make him look like Adolf Hitler.”Anne Frank wrote about this in her diary,” said one sign, a reference to the young Jewish girl who fled the Nazis and kept a journal of her life in hiding.”America, you in danger girl,” said another.Throughout the nation there were references to the United States’ birth as a republic, one that threw off the absolute power of the British monarchy almost 250 years ago.But demonstrators said they did not get rid of one king to replace him with another.”No faux-king way,” said one sign.In tiny Nome, Alaska, home to fewer than 4,000 people, a small demo was one of thousands taking place across the country.”The only king Alaskans want is king salmon,” said one demonstrator’s sign, according to pictures published on the website of the local Nome Nugget newspaper.Some protesters opted for the pithy.”NOPE,” said one sign, the letter “E” replaced by a sideways crown.”That’s enough,” said another.”I’m not usually a sign person, but GEEZ…” said one.

ChatGPT-maker OpenAI has enlisted the legendary designer behind the iPhone to create an irresistible gadget for using generative artificial intelligence (AI).The ability to engage digital assistants as easily as speaking with friends is being built into eyewear, speakers, computers and smartphones, but some argue that the Age of AI calls for a transformational new gizmo.”The products that we’re using to deliver and connect us to unimaginable technology are decades old,” former Apple chief design officer Jony Ive said when his alliance with OpenAI was announced.”It’s just common sense to at least think, surely there’s something beyond these legacy products.”Sharing no details, OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman said that a prototype Ive shared with him “is the coolest piece of technology that the world will have ever seen.”According to several US media outlets, the device won’t have a screen, nor will it be worn like a watch or broach.Kyle Li, a professor at The New School, said that since AI is not yet integrated into people’s lives, there is room for a new product tailored to its use.The type of device won’t be as important as whether the AI innovators like OpenAI make “pro-human” choices when building the software that will power them, said Rob Howard of consulting firm Innovating with AI- Learning from flops -The industry is well aware of the spectacular failure of the AI Pin, a square gadget worn like a badge packed with AI features but gone from the market less than a year after its debut in 2024 due to a dearth of buyers.The AI Pin marketed by startup Humane to incredible buzz was priced at $699.Now, Meta and OpenAI are making “big bets” on AI-infused hardware, according to CCS Insight analyst Ben Wood.OpenAI made a multi-billion-dollar deal to bring Ive’s startup into the fold.Google announced early this year it is working on mixed-reality glasses with AI smarts, while Amazon continues to ramp up Alexa digital assistant capabilities in its Echo speakers and displays.Apple is being cautious embracing generative AI, slowly integrating it into iPhones even as rivals race ahead with the technology. Plans to soup up its Siri chatbot with generative AI have been indefinitely delayed.The quest for creating an AI interface that people love “is something Apple should have jumped on a long time ago,” said Futurum research director Olivier Blanchard.- Time to talk -Blanchard envisions some kind of hub that lets users tap into AI, most likely by speaking to it and without being connected to the internet.”You can’t push it all out in the cloud,” Blanchard said, citing concerns about reliability, security, cost, and harm to the environment due to energy demand.”There is not enough energy in the world to do this, so we need to find local solutions,” he added.Howard expects a fierce battle over what will be the must-have personal device for AI, since the number of things someone is willing to wear is limited and “people can feel overwhelmed.”A new piece of hardware devoted to AI isn’t the obvious solution, but OpenAI has the funding and the talent to deliver, according to Julien Codorniou, a partner at venture capital firm 20VC and a former Facebook executive.OpenAI recently hired former Facebook executive and Instacart chief Fidji Simo as head of applications, and her job will be to help answer the hardware question.Voice is expected by many to be a primary way people command AI.Google chief Sundar Pichai has long expressed a vision of “ambient computing” in which technology blends invisibly into the world, waiting to be called upon.”There’s no longer any reason to type or touch if you can speak instead,” Blanchard said.”Generative AI wants to be increasingly human” so spoken dialogues with the technology “make sense,” he added.However, smartphones are too embedded in people’s lives to be snubbed any time soon, said Wood.

For hours, thousands of people in Los Angeles peacefully celebrated their defiance of US President Donald Trump Saturday with music, marching, bubbles and balloons — then police unexpectedly moved in, and chaos and confusion broke out.The demonstration — part of the nationwide “No Kings” day of protests across the country — was by far the largest in more than a week of protests ignited by anger against immigration raids the Trump administration has been carrying out across the country’s second-largest city. Like those before it, Saturday’s had been largely peaceful. A march that began in the morning had finished, with demonstrators milling about on a sunny afternoon as the scene took on the air of a street festival. Then police unexpectedly began moving people away from the area, igniting confusion and anger among demonstrators caught off guard and unsure of where to go.Police on horseback pushed crowds back as law enforcement fired tear gas and flash-bang grenades hours ahead of an 8:00 pm (0300 GMT) curfew. A police spokeswoman later told local TV channel KTLA that a “small group of agitators” had begun throwing rocks, bottles and fireworks at officers, prompting the decision to order the crowd to disperse.If people refused to leave, “we will make arrests,” she said, adding: “We have been patient all day.”The clashes came after more than a week of demonstrations in Los Angeles against the immigration raids, which have rocked the city.The protests have mostly been calm and contained to a small segment of downtown.But at times they have spiraled into violence, which Trump pounced on to send in 4,000 National Guard and 700 Marines — an exceedingly rare deployment of soldiers on US soil against the will of local officials, who have repeatedly said the situation was under control.The troops did not immediately appear to be involved in the clashes Saturday afternoon, with Los Angeles police and the sheriff’s department taking the lead.- ‘No faux-king Trump’ -The day had begun with Indigenous dancing at City Hall, as musicians played a light-hearted drumbeat on metal security barriers and street vendors filled the air with the smell of frying onions. Then, beneath a giant balloon depicting Trump as a baby wearing a diaper, the demonstrators marched through downtown Los Angeles.Parents brought their children, pet owners their dogs, and the lunchtime crowd at one popular market along the route enjoyed tacos and donuts as demonstrators passed by chanting while passing cars honked their support.”No faux-king Trump,” read one sign as marchers chanted “Impeach Trump!”Passing several armed National Guard in front of one federal building along the route, the protesters cried “Shame!”  Many of the signs had a light touch — “America, you in danger girl” read one, while another riffed on the acronym for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and a favorite drink in Los Angeles: “ICE belongs in my matcha, not the streets.”Others were more pointed. Many involved the words “Trump” and various expletives. Some showed images of the president as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.”Santa Monica Fascist,” read one sign with a photo of Trump’s top immigration adviser Stephen Miller, who is from the coastal city west of downtown Los Angeles.People waved flags — predominantly US flags, some upside down as a signal of distress; but also the flags of Mexico, El Salvador, South Korea, the Palestinians, California’s state flag, and the Pride flag celebrating LGBTQ rights.”This isn’t a war zone,” protester Jennifer Franks, who was carrying her infant son, told AFP in front of City Hall earlier in the day. “There is no reason to have the military called in here… I want my child to grow up in a nation where common sense pervades.”

A giant orange balloon depicting  Donald Trump in a diaper towered over one “No Kings” protest Saturday, as tens of thousands thronged streets across the United States to decry the president’s policies.Protest organizers expected rallies in all 50 US states, calling them the largest since Trump returned to office in January, with the aim of “rejecting authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics, and the militarization of our democracy.”Wielding signs with messages like “No KKKings,” “No crown for the clown” and “The Trump fascist regime must go now!” the protests stood in stark contrast to a massive military parade in Washington on Saturday.The parade was meant to commemorate the founding of the US Army, but also fell on the president’s 79th birthday.”I am here today to tell the world that we don’t have kings in America. In America, the law is king,” Ilene Ryan told AFP at a demonstration in Boston.In New York, tens of thousands of people, wearing raincoats and carrying colorful umbrellas, marched down Fifth Avenue in a downpour to the sounds of drums, bells and chants of “Hey hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go!”Actors Susan Sarandon and Mark Ruffalo were seen getting drenched among the protesters.- ‘Outraged’ -A few blocks away, Polly Shulman was preparing to join the march with her “Protect the Constitution” sign.”I’m miserable and outraged about how this administration is destroying the ideals of the American Constitution,” the 62-year-old museum employee told AFP.The most shocking thing, she said, was “the illegal deportations of law-abiding residents.”They are “being kidnapped and disappeared and sent to torture prisons in foreign countries.”In March, the Trump administration expelled more than 250 Venezuelans to a mega-prison in El Salvador after accusing them of being members of the Tren de Aragua criminal gang, which it has declared a terrorist organization.At least four protesters in New York were arrested at a separate, smaller protest against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, police said.- ‘Mad as hell’ -“I think people are mad as hell,” said Lindsay Ross, a 28-year-old musician who urged others to show “the administration that we’re not going to take this.”Bill Kennedy, a retired psychologist from Pennsylvania, was in Washington protesting a few hours before Trump’s $45 million parade.”I’m tired of the current administration. I think they’re a bunch of fascists,” he said, describing the military parade as “ridiculous.”Suzanne Brown in Boston also lamented the money spent on the parade “for one man’s vanity.”Massive “No Kings” protests were  underway in Los Angeles, which in recent days has been rocked by demonstrations over the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, as federal agents swept up even law-abiding undocumented people. On Saturday, protesters shouted “You are not welcome here” at some of the 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines that Trump dispatched to the city against the wishes of local and state authorities. With a giant orange Trump-in-a-diaper balloon towering above them, thousands filled the city streets, sporting slogans like “No faux-king way” and “Impeach Trump.”Members of Russian feminist protest and performance art group Pussy Riot held up a large banner in front of city hall warning: “It’s beginning to look a lot like Russia.” Iris Rodriguez, 44, explained that her family arrived in the United States without papers.”I find it really, really personal… If this was my mom, if this were the 80s, this would be happening to her,” she told AFP.”I was a little scared, but I refuse to be too scared to not come.”The country-wide demonstrations overwhelmingly took place peacefully and without incident.But in Culpeper, Virginia, police said a man “intentionally” rammed his car into a group of protesters as they left the event. No injuries were reported.In Los Angeles, police used tear gas and mounted officers to clear protesters in front of the downtown federal building, the focus of anti-ICE demonstrations for the last week. AFP reporters said there was no disorder, but it appeared officers were moving people away from an area where National Guard troops and Marines were stationed.

US President Donald Trump reveled in a long dreamt-of military parade on his 79th birthday Saturday, as demonstrators across the country branded him a dictator in the biggest protests since his return to power.Trump stood and saluted as tanks rumbled past, aircraft roared overhead and nearly 7,000 troops marched through Washington in the largest such parade in the United States in decades.Chants of “USA! USA!” erupted as the Republican took to a giant stage in front of the White House for the parade which officially marked the 250th birthday of the US Army, but also happened to fall on Trump’s own.The deep political divisions in the United States were underscored however as “No Kings” demonstrators thronged the streets in cities including New York, Los Angeles, Washington, Houston and Atlanta.”I think people are mad as hell,” Lindsay Ross, a 28-year-old musician, told AFP in New York, where tens of thousands of people rallied.The killing of a Democratic lawmaker and her husband Saturday in the northern state of Minnesota — in what authorities called a targeted attack — also cast a pall over the parade.Trump was quick to condemn the attacks outside Minneapolis in which former state speaker Melissa Hortman died along with her husband, while another state lawmaker and his wife were hospitalized with gunshot wounds.- ‘Big day’ -Military parades are a more common sight in capitals like Moscow and Pyongyang than Washington, but Trump has openly expressed his wishes for one since his first term.His dream came true on Saturday with a $45-million spectacle — although starting around half an hour early because of the threat of thunderstorms raining on his parade.The procession began with a 21-gun salute followed by the presentation of a flag to Trump by the army’s Golden Knights parachute team who dropped from the sky.Two huge Abrams tanks were stationed in front of the stage where Trump sat.Troops and military hardware from different eras of US history then passed by, with an announcer reeling off victories over Japanese, German, Chinese and Vietnamese forces in past wars.Trump, who saluted a number of times and chatted occasionally to First Lady Melania Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during the parade, was due to give remarks later.The Republican, who has begun his second term by pushing presidential powers to unprecedented levels, boasted earlier on his Truth Social network that it was a “big day for America!!!”He added that Russian strongman Vladimir Putin, for whom he has repeatedly expressed admiration, had “very nicely” called him to wish him a happy birthday.The two leaders also agreed on the need for an end to the Iran-Israel conflict — a war in which US forces are aiding Israel to shoot down Tehran’s missiles.- ‘Vulgar display’ -The White House meanwhile dismissed the “No Kings” rallies as a “complete and utter failure” and said the numbers involved were “miniscule,” despite images of streets filled with protesters. Organizers expected protests in all 50 states against what they call Trump’s dictatorial overreach, and in particular what they described as the strongman symbolism of the parade.Thousands turned out in Los Angeles to protest Trump’s deployment of troops in the country’s second-largest city following clashes sparked by immigration raids.Some protesters targeted Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida — while a small group even gathered in Paris.”I think it’s disgusting,” protester Sarah Hargrave, 42, told AFP in the Washington suburb of Bethesda, describing Trump’s parade as a “display of authoritarianism.”Critics have accused Trump of acting like the United States’s autocratic adversaries.California’s Governor Gavin Newsom, who slammed Trump for sending National Guard troops into Los Angeles without his consent, called it a “vulgar display of weakness.”

US President Donald Trump kicked off his long dreamt-of military parade in Washington on his 79th birthday Saturday, as tens of thousands of protesters rallied across the country to call him a dictator.Trump saluted after walking onto a huge stage in front of the White House, with two huge tanks parked nearby, while a 21-gun salute rang out and the national anthem played.The parade, officially marking the 250th anniversary of the US Army but also coinciding with Trump’s birthday, was set to feature tanks, a flyover and nearly 7,000 troops marching past.But the deep political divisions in the United States were underscored as “No Kings” demonstrators earlier took to the streets in cities including New York, Los Angeles, Washington, Houston and Atlanta.The killing of a Democratic lawmaker and her husband in Minnesota also cast a pall over the parade.Trump was quick to condemn the attacks outside Minneapolis in which former state speaker Melissa Hortman died along with her husband, while another state lawmaker and his wife were hospitalized with gunshot wounds.The “No Kings” demonstrators were protesting what they call Trump’s dictatorial overreach, and in particular what they call the strongman symbolism of the biggest parade in Washington for decades.”I think it’s disgusting,” protester Sarah Hargrave, 42, told AFP at a protest in the Washington suburb of Bethesda, describing Trump’s parade as a “display of authoritarianism.”Republican Trump, who has begun his second term by pushing presidential powers to unprecedented levels, boasted earlier on his Truth Social network that it was a “big day for America!!!”He added that Russian strongman Vladimir Putin, for whom he has repeatedly expressed admiration, had “very nicely” called him to wish him a happy birthday.The two leaders also agreed on the need for an end to the Iran-Israel conflict — a war in which US forces are aiding Israel to shoot down Tehran’s missiles.- Political violence -The “No Kings” protest organizers expected millions of people to take part in 1,500 cities in the rest of the country.Some protesters targeted Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida — while a small group even gathered in Paris.Thousands turned out in Los Angeles to protest Trump’s deployment of troops in the country’s second-largest city following clashes sparked by immigration raids.The White House dismissed the rallies.”The so-called No Kings protests have been a complete and utter failure with minuscule attendance,” White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said in a post on X, despite photos of large crowds in a number of cities.Trump had promised to use “very big force” if protesters attempt to disrupt the army parade in Washington.But disruption could also come from thunderstorms forecast to hit Washington as the parade continues.Trump put on a brave face, saying on Truth Social: “Our great military parade is on, rain or shine. Remember, a rainy day parade brings good luck. I’ll see you all in DC.” – $45 million – The military parade is the biggest in Washington since the end of the Gulf War in 1991, estimated by the army to cost up to $45 million.Soldiers will wear uniforms dating back through US history to its independence from Britain as they march past landmarks including the Washington Monument to end up at the White House.Trump has been obsessed with having a parade since his first term as president when he attended France’s annual Bastille Day parade in Paris at the invitation of President Emmanuel Macron.Critics have accused Trump of acting like autocrats in Moscow or Pyongyang.California’s Governor Gavin Newsom, who slammed Trump for sending National Guard troops into Los Angeles without his consent, called it a “vulgar display of weakness.”

As Donald Trump supporters queued to watch a military parade in Washington, hundreds of protesters marched less than a mile away chanting that the US president was a “fascist.”The divided US capital epitomized a political rift in the United States that Saturday’s display of soldiers, tanks and fighter jets looked to further deepen. For Shaun Dailey, who traveled from neighboring Pennsylvania, the parade was simply a chance to honor the US Army on its birthday, which coincided with Trump’s 79th. “Some of them say that, ‘Oh, it looks like North Korea. Oh, it looks like Russia,’ because America doesn’t do very many military parades. I don’t know, because we’re told to be ashamed of who we are,” the 22-year-old said.”But I personally don’t see that as authoritarian. I don’t see it as fascist or whatever. I just see it as a celebration.”Brent Kuykendall, 66, who flew from Texas with his wife to see the parade, agreed that it was a form of “patriotism.””It’s more than Trump. It’s to celebrate our country,” said Kuykendall, who carried a bag styled with US flags.But many in liberal Washington were uneasy with the huge military display that has seen much of the downtown area shut down by roadblocks. Secret Service agents, some with sniffer dogs, prowled the entry points to the National Mall area where the parade was taking place Saturday.The White House — typically visible for tourists behind a single metal fence — was cordoned off with a large black barrier reading “Do not enter.”- ‘Military as pawns’ -A few hundred protesters marched to the perimeter to voice their opposition to the military parade — and Trump’s second presidency.”I flew in to oppose Trump’s fascist birthday parade,” said Sam Richards, a US army veteran from Minneapolis, some 1,000 miles from Washington. “All of this feels like a cruel joke, to use people that swore an oath to the Constitution and are devoting their lives to the military as pawns for a guy who wants to be a king,” Richards, 34, said.He was surrounded by activists who held signs reading “Pro USA, anti Trump” and “Americans will not be ruled.”There was also a wooden model where protesters had gathered earlier depicting Trump with an elongated nose, sitting on a toilet with suit trousers around his ankles. Organizers emphasized the rally should be nonviolent — but some were still wary of Trump’s promise last week that anyone trying to derail the military parade would be met by “heavy force.””It’s very important to stand out here today because there’s so many people that are afraid,” said Anahi Rivas-Rodriguez, 24, who is from Washington. She acknowledged she felt “intimidated” by comments made by the president.”But that does not stop me, because protesting is patriotic.”The Washington protest was among hundreds of rallies taking place across the United States on Saturday, including New York City and Los Angeles.Bill Kennedy, 68, traveled to the capital from neighboring Pennsylvania as he believed it was crucial to display opposition to Trump.”I think he needs to see that. You know, he’s not going to get away with intimidation, threats, violence and thuggery, that people will still be opposed no matter what,” he said. 

A gunman shot two Democratic state lawmakers in Minnesota early Saturday, killing one and her husband and wounding the other, in what the northern US state’s governor said were politically motivated attacks.The shootings came at a moment of deep political divisions in the United States, as thousands took to the streets in protest at the policies of Republican President Donald Trump.The suspected assailant — named in US media reports as 57-year-old Vance Boelter — was still at large, officials said, with a massive manhunt underway.Trump and US Attorney General Pam Bondi decried what they called “horrific violence” and said  perpetrators would be prosecuted to “the fullest extent of the law.”State representative Melissa Hortman — the former speaker — and her husband Mark were killed at their home in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Park, Governor Tim Walz told a press conference.State senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette were shot and wounded at their home in nearby Champlin, the governor said, his voice breaking with emotion. He said officials remained “cautiously optimistic” they would recover. “This was an act of targeted political violence,” Walz told reporters. “Peaceful discourse is the foundation of our democracy. We don’t settle our differences with violence or at gunpoint.”Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said Hoffman and his wife were shot first, and as police investigated, Hortman and her husband were shot about 90 minutes later. The suspected gunman was able to escape during an exchange of gunfire with officers near Hortman’s residence, Evans told reporters.”We’re actively searching for that individual right now,” he said.The New York Times, The Minnesota Star Tribune and CBS News, all citing unnamed sources with knowledge of the investigation, named the suspect as Boelter.Praetorian Guards Security Services, a home security company, describes Boelter on its website as the director of security patrols.- Impersonating law enforcement -In both cases, authorities believe the assailant was impersonating a law enforcement officer.”The suspect exploited the trust that our uniform is meant to represent,” said Bob Jacobson, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.An anti-Trump rally in Minneapolis — part of the national wave of “No Kings” protests planned for Saturday — was canceled after police issued a shelter-in-place order because of the shootings. Flyers for the protests were found in the suspect’s car, as well as a manifesto that named numerous politicians and state officials, police said.Police are looking for a white man with brown hair, wearing black body armor over a blue shirt and blue pants, local TV station KSTP said.”We do have the suspect’s car. Suspect is on foot,” said Mark Bruley, the police chief in Brooklyn Park, where Hortman lived.The United States has been deeply divided since Trump returned to the White House in January.The Republican president has drawn criticism from Democrats over his harsh deportation policy, his assault on universities and the media and a perceived flouting of limits on executive power as he pushes his agenda.”At this precipice moment we’re on, this tragic act here in Minnesota should serve as a reminder to all of us,” Walz said.”The democracy and the debates in the halls of Congress, in state houses, in school boards, is a way to settle our differences peacefully and move society to a better place.”US Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota remembered Hortman as a friend who entered politics at the same time as her and dedicated her life to serving the state, working on issues such as women’s rights and clean energy.”Let me be absolutely clear: this was an act of targeted political violence, and it was an attack on everything we stand for as a democracy,” Klobuchar said in a statement. “We must all condemn it.”Minnesota’s other US senator, Tina Smith, also issued a statement condemning the shootings.Former House member Gabby Giffords, who survived a shooting to the head in 2011 and is now a prominent advocate for the prevention of gun violence, described herself as “devastated” by the death of Hortman. “We must protect our democracy from those who try to destroy it with a gun,” Giffords wrote on X.

Thousands of people on Saturday rallied nationwide against the policies of US President Donald Trump ahead of a rare military parade on his 79th birthday — but the killing of a Democratic lawmaker in Minnesota cast a pall over the day’s events.Trump was quick to condemn the targeted shootings of two lawmakers outside Minneapolis — one died along with her husband, while the other and his wife have been hospitalized with gunshot wounds.The shocking murder was the latest in a string of incidents of political violence, including an attempt on Trump’s life in July last year, and an April arson attack on the home of Pennsylvania’s governor, who is a Democrat and Jewish.The shootings prompted Minnesota state authorities to call on residents not to attend protests by the so-called “No Kings” movement organized across the United State, which began at noon (1600 GMT) in some East Coast locations.Organizers said the rallies would be the largest since Trump returned to office in January, adding that they were “rejecting authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics, and the militarization of our democracy.””I’m here because the things that are happening in this administration are very disturbing,” Sarah Hargrave, 42, told AFP in the Washington suburb of Bethesda, where about 1,000 people rallied.Organizers said they expected millions of people in more than 1,500 cities including New York, Houston, Seattle, Atlanta and Trump’s second home in Palm Beach, Florida to protest. A small group even gathered in Paris.Thousands hit the streets in Philadelphia, one of the movement’s flagship events.Thousands more demonstrators are expected to turn out in Los Angeles to protest against Trump’s deployment of troops in America’s second-largest city following clashes sparked by immigration raids.Downtown, Trump planned a giant celebration of the US Army’s 250th birthday — and his own — in Washington with tanks, helicopters and nearly 7,000 troops at a reported cost of up to $45 million.”This is a big day for America!!!” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.But the Minnesota shootings, the threat of thunderstorms in the US capital, and the barrage of missiles raining down in Tel Aviv and Tehran — a conflict in which the American military is assisting — could cast a long shadow over the president’s event.- Rain on Trump’s parade? – Trump says the Washington parade will be “like no other” — but has promised to use “very big force” if protesters attempt to disrupt the spectacle.The rare military parade is the largest in the United States since the end of the Gulf War in 1991. Soldiers will wear uniforms dating back through US history to its independence from Britain.More than 50 helicopters will be involved including Apache gunships and Black Hawk transport choppers.Around 150 military vehicles — including 28 Abrams battle tanks and 56 armored vehicles — will rumble past.The parade is meant to end with a parachute display as members of the army’s Golden Knights team jump in and present Trump with a US flag — on Flag Day, which marks the adoption of the Stars and Stripes.The route will pass historic landmarks including the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, ending up near the White House.But thunderstorms could hit Washington on Saturday when the parade is taking place. Trump put a brave face on the forecast Saturday, saying on Truth Social: “Our great military parade is on, rain or shine. Remember, a rainy day parade brings good luck. I’ll see you all in DC.” – ‘Vulgar display’ -Trump has been obsessed with having a parade since his first term as president when he attended France’s annual Bastille Day parade in Paris at the invitation of President Emmanuel Macron in 2017.But Trump’s opponents accuse him of using the event to feed his ego.”No Kings” organizers said they expected millions of people in more than 1,500 cities to take part in the protests.They said it was a “direct response to Donald Trump’s self-aggrandizing” parade, “funded by taxpayers while millions are told there’s no money.”An NBC News poll published Saturday revealed that nearly two in three Americans surveyed — 64 percent — oppose using government funds for the military parade.California’s Governor Gavin Newsom, who slammed Trump for sending National Guard troops into Los Angeles without his consent, said it was a “vulgar display of weakness.””To fete the Dear Leader on his birthday? What an embarrassment,” Newsom, a Democrat, said Thursday, likening the display to a military parade in Kim Jong Un’s North Korea.