Summary of the day so far
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Thousands of people have begun demonstrating across the US as part of the “No Kings” protests. Millions are expected to turn up for events against the Trump administration at roughly 2,000 sites nationwide.
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A Democratic state lawmaker in Minnesota and her husband were killed, and another Democratic state lawmaker and his wife were shot, in the early hours of Saturday.
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Police are searching for the suspected gunman. The Associated Press is reporting the shooter is a 57-year-old man.
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Minnesota police are urging people to avoid “No Kings” demonstrations in the state after flyers for the protests were found in the suspect’s vehicle.
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Both Democrats and Republicans were quick to condemn the violence in Minnesota, with Donald Trump saying in a statement “such horrific violence will not be tolerated”.
Protests are still getting under way across the US.
And later, Trump will attend a military parade to mark the 250th anniversary of the US army – which happens to coincide with his 79th birthday.
Key events
Andrew Gumbel
Despite Donald Trump’s vow to use the military to “liberate” Los Angeles from street protesters, the 700 Marines dispatched on his orders to the City of Angels were nowhere to be seen downtown or at any of the other LA-area demonstrations on Saturday.
A line of about 15 National Guardsmen stood in camouflage uniforms at the top of a flight of steps at the main entrance to City Hall, facing a crowd of several thousand gathered in a large park across the street. A line of metal barriers at the bottom of the steps kept the closest demonstrators at least 25 feet away.
A few blocks to the east, California National Guard members were seen patrolling the federal courthouse and detention center, the scene of last Sunday’s first big street protest called after Trump deployed the Guard without the consent of California’s governor, Gavin Newsom.
Overall, the security presence downtown was light, with police cruisers parked several blocks from the protest and a single Los Angeles Police Department helicopter patrolling the skies above. Highway Patrol cruisers blocked a handful of freeway exits but traffic otherwise flowed normally.
The federal courthouse and federal office building, which saw tense standoffs this week between demonstrators and police firing flash-bangs and foam rubber bullets, were secured with nothing more than yellow police tape.
The only detachment of Marines spotted in L.A. since Friday has been at a federal office building 10 miles away in West L.A., where no protests are scheduled.
In an early morning news briefing, L.A. police chief Jim McDonnell said he was working with his law enforcement partners to safeguard people’s right to protest and keep them safe. “Let me be very, very clear,” he said. “If you’re here in Los Angeles today to make your voice heard through peaceful demonstrations, we are here to protect you.” No federal officials attended the briefing.
‘Dump Trump, melt ICE’: thousands protest in Philadelphia
Melissa Hellmann, who’s on the ground in Philadelphia, spoke with protesters who came out to support immigrants – and to voice their opposition to Trump. Hellmann reports:
Shortly after 12.30pm, thousands of people poured out of Philadelphia’s Love Park. Though it was a relatively quiet march, a line of police with bikes stood across the street from the park. In the slight drizzle, people held umbrellas and signs that said “Dump Trump, melt Ice”.
Victor, a 56-year-old chef originally from Argentina, held a hand-painted sign that depicted President Donald Trump as a pig, with “Oink” painted atop his image in large letters. Victor was gifted the sign from another protester during a rally outside Philadelphia’s city hall when Trump was first elected in 2016.
He arrived in the US from Argentina as a child and watched his parents work hard to make a better living for their family. “Other people have the right to work hard and make a life for themselves when they come from a country where they can’t do that or are facing political oppression or are desperate,” he said. “This is supposed to be the land of opportunity and a land built on immigrants.”
He was disappointed by the military parade happening 123 miles (200km) away in Washington DC. “It’s a perverse show of power unnecessarily,” Victor said, adding that he hopes that the opposing protests in other states will catalyze elected officials to take notice of the public’s dissatisfaction with the Trump administration. “For the most part, the administration is pushing forth an agenda,” Victor said, “and people have been asleep at the wheel.”
Marching near him, 67-year-old Margaret Grace waved an American flag. “The secret-police aspect of this is terrifying,” Grace said, referring to the plainclothes Ice agents detaining people in public, “even to an old white lady like myself”.
While Grace was uncertain that today’s protest would bring forth significant change, she was hopeful that it would inspire more peaceful protests where people expressed dissatisfaction with the Trump administration. The past five months of his presidency, she said, had been marked by “chaos and that’s how he does things. Throws out some crazy stuff, sees what sticks and then backtracks.”
As hundreds of thousands are expected to participate in “No Kings” rallies across the US today, demonstrators have also convened near President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in South Florida.
The Washington Post reports that more than 1000 protesters walked across the causeway from West Palm Beach toward Mar-a-Lago on Saturday morning. They chanted “USA!” and displayed American flags, as well as signs that read “No Kings.” Police stopped the group approximately 900 ft from Mar-a-Lago. The dozens of officers, from local and state departments, stood in a line across the sidewalk, to prevent them from getting any closer, the newspaper said.
The protesters turned around, and walked back to West Palm Beach. There was a mere “handful” of Trump supporters, according to The Post.
Photos on social media show the protest.
No Kings protesters Saturday cross the Southern Boulevard bridge connecting Palm Beach – home to President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club – to West Palm Beach. Protestors were stopped by law enforcement before reaching the club. pic.twitter.com/4yOYCRqtV9
— Jodie Wagner (@JRWagner5) June 14, 2025
Summary of the day so far
-
Thousands of people have begun demonstrating across the US as part of the “No Kings” protests. Millions are expected to turn up for events against the Trump administration at roughly 2,000 sites nationwide.
-
A Democratic state lawmaker in Minnesota and her husband were killed, and another Democratic state lawmaker and his wife were shot, in the early hours of Saturday.
-
Police are searching for the suspected gunman. The Associated Press is reporting the shooter is a 57-year-old man.
-
Minnesota police are urging people to avoid “No Kings” demonstrations in the state after flyers for the protests were found in the suspect’s vehicle.
-
Both Democrats and Republicans were quick to condemn the violence in Minnesota, with Donald Trump saying in a statement “such horrific violence will not be tolerated”.
Protests are still getting under way across the US.
And later, Trump will attend a military parade to mark the 250th anniversary of the US army – which happens to coincide with his 79th birthday.
Back to Los Angeles for a moment – my colleagues on the west coast have been tirelessly covering the LA Ice protests all week. As Andrew pointed out, the flags in LA have become a major component of the protests and the back-and-forth between demonstrators and the Trump administration.
But what do they really mean?
My colleague Robert Mackey unpacked the meaning of the foreign flags at the LA protests. In brief:
Observers with a more nuanced understanding of the Los Angeles communities being targeted in these raids, and of the nation’s history as a refuge for immigrants, suggest that the flags are not intended to signal allegiance to any foreign government but rather to signal solidarity with immigrants from those places and, for Americans with roots in those countries, to express pride in their heritage.
You can read more about the foreign flags in Robert’s explainer:
Authorities looking for 57-year-old man in connection with Minnesota shooting – AP
Law enforcement officials are searching for a 57-year-old man suspected of shooting two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses, officials told the Associated Press (AP).
Two people familiar with the matter identified the suspect being sought to the AP as Vance Boelter. The people could not publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
And right on cue, some very flag-filled photos from Los Angeles are coming through the newswires.
LA protesters take to the streets with flags galore after a week of tension
Andrew Gumbel
After a week of Trump administration officials and their allies seizing on the Mexican flags waved by Los Angeles street protesters and saying they were symptoms of a foreign invasion, the demonstration gathering strength this morning outside LA city hall was awash in stars-and-stripes American flags.
Many brought them from home, either waving them or wrapping them around their shoulders. Others took them from volunteers handing them out at sites across the rally.
“Our flag has been conscripted by Maga, as though theirs is the only true patriotism,” one volunteer, mental health therapist Laura Gustavson, said. “We’re saying we’re taking the flag back. It’s part of our constitutional representation.”
Some still brought Mexican flags. Others had hybrid flags with one country’s image on the front and another on the back.
“I want to represent my Mexican culture, but I’m an American as well,” said Leila Sanchez, a 17-year-old high school student whose flag bore the images side by side.
Others still carried upside-down US flags.
“The flag upside down is a sign of distress, and this country is in distress,” protester Greg Champion, a behavioral health technician, explained.
We’ll bring you more lines on the events unfolding in Minnesota as we get them – but for now, we’ll pivot back to other “No Kings” demonstrations across the US.
You can also read deeper about the Minnesota shootings below:
‘Unspeakable tragedy’: lawmakers condemn political violence in Minnesota
A gunman who killed a Democratic Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband, and wounded a second lawmaker and his wife, prompted swift responses from both Democrats and Republicans.
Minnesota state governor Tim Walz said: “An unspeakable tragedy has unfolded in Minnesota – my good friend and colleague, speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, were shot and killed early this morning in what appears to be a politically motivated assassination.”
US attorney general Pam Bondi: “I am closely monitoring developments in Minnesota after what appears to be a targeted attack against state lawmakers. The FBI is on the ground investigating this case alongside state and local partners. This horrific violence will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
US senator Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat: “This is a stunning act of violence. I’m thankful for all the law enforcement who are responding in real time. My prayers are with the Hortman and Hoffman families. Both legislators are close friends and devoted to their families and public service.”
Republican House speaker Mike Johnson: “Such horrific political violence has no place in our society, and every leader must unequivocally condemn it.”
The No Kings coalition that organized protests across the US today is cancelling all demonstrations in Minnesota that have not already started after two lawmakers were shot, Reuters reports.
Indivisible said on Bluesky: “Governor Walz has recommended that we cancel No Kings events across Minnesota because the individual who assassinated a Democratic lawmaker is still at large.”
Governor Tim Walz further urged on Bluesky that “people do not attend any political rallies today in Minnesota until the suspect is apprehended”.
The aforementioned post on X from Minnesota state patrol included a photo of “No Kings” flyers.
In another post, the police said: “The photo is of flyers inside the vehicle of the suspect in today’s shootings.”
Given the targeted shootings of state lawmakers overnight, we are asking the public to not attend today’s planned demonstrations across Minnesota out of an abundance of caution. pic.twitter.com/7hFccnrQUT
— MN State Patrol (@MnDPS_MSP) June 14, 2025
Minnesota police urge public to not participate in protest after lawmaker killed
The Minnesota state patrol on social media told the public to stay home today instead of participating in the “No Kings” rallies across the state.
In a post on X, the agency wrote:
Given the targeted shootings of state lawmakers overnight, we are asking the public to not attend today’s planned demonstrations across Minnesota out of an abundance of caution.
Trump briefed on Democratic lawmaker killed in Minnesota
Donald Trump said he had been briefed on the “terrible shooting that took place in Minnesota, which appears to be a targeted attack against State Lawmakers”, Reuters reports.
The president said in a statement: “Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place!”
Democratic lawmaker killed in Minnesota in ‘politically motivated’ attacks
Elsewhere in US politics today, a prominent Democratic state lawmaker in Minnesota and her husband were killed in what governor Tim Walz is calling a “politically motivated assassination”.
State representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, died on Saturday, Walz confirmed. Law enforcement said the gunman, who had been impersonating a police officer, is still at large.
You can read more here:
Republican governors warn public and prepare national guard before mass demonstrations
Republican governors in Virginia, Texas, Nebraska and Missouri are mobilizing national guard troops to help law enforcement manage the mass demonstrations against Donald Trump, the Associated Press reports.
Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin told reporters there would be “zero tolerance” for violence, destruction or disrupting traffic, and “if you violate the law, you’re going to be arrested”.
Missouri governor Mike Kehoe vowed to take a proactive approach and not to “wait for chaos to ensue”.
Nebraska governor Jim Pillen also signed an emergency proclamation on Friday to activate the national guard, a move his office called “a precautionary measure”.
Then, of course, there’s Florida – governor Ron DeSantis has not shied away from his disdain for the protests, even saying earlier this week that people have a right to hit demonstrators with their cars if they block roadways. There is a march that will go to the gates of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, and the governor has already said the “line is very clear” and not to cross it. DeSantis has not yet, however, made moves to activate the state’s national guard.
