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Republican governors in several US states have placed National Guard troops on standby in preparation for a nationwide protest to oppose Donald Trump and his policies.
The organisers of the “No Kings” protests say that gatherings will take place at more than 2,500 locations around the US. Trump allies have accused the protesters of being allied with the far-left Antifa movement.
Governors in Texas and Virginia have activated their state’s National Guard troops, however it is unclear how visible the military presence will be.
Organisers say that at the last No Kings protest, held in June, more than five million people took to the streets to denounce Trump’s political agenda.
The protest organisers say the protest will challenge Trump’s “authoritarianism”.
“The president thinks his rule is absolute,” they say on their website.
“But in America, we don’t have kings and we won’t back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty.”
Some Republicans have dubbed the protests “Hate America” rallies.
“We’ll have to get the National Guard out,” Kansas Senator Roger Marshall said ahead of the rallies, according to CNN.
“Hopefully it’ll be peaceful. I doubt it.”
Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Thursday activated the state’s National Guard ahead of a protest scheduled in Austin, the state’s capital.
He said the troops would be needed due to the “planned antifa-linked demonstration”.
Democrats denounced the move, including the state’s top Democrat Gene Wu, who argued: “Sending armed soldiers to suppress peaceful protests is what kings and dictators do — and Greg Abbott just proved he’s one of them.”
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin also ordered the state National Guard to be activated.
