Tens of thousands of protesters marching against President Trump’s agenda have taken to the streets across the United States on Monday, dubbing him a ‘king’ on Presidents’ Day for his efforts to dismiss thousands of federal employees and fire prosecutors and independent watchdogs within the federal government. Mr. Trump, in a social media post, suggested he would not heed concerns that his sweeping actions might be illegal, quoting a phrase often attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte: ‘He who saves his country does not violate any law.’ The protesters, holding American flags and wearing heart-shaped earrings and beanies adorned with the U.S. flag, chanted, ‘No king, no crown, we will not back down.’ The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C., sang the national anthem by the Capitol Reflecting Pool, prompting a round of applause from the audience after the final line: ‘And the home of the brave.’ Shawn Morris, the president of the chorus, said, ‘This is our anthem. This is our flag. It belongs to us. We wanted to take it back.’ Concerns were raised about Mr. Trump’s attempts to exclude transgender individuals from the military and erase any mention of them from federal government websites. ‘There’s nothing more patriotic than fighting against tyranny,’ said Kat Duesterhaus, who traveled from Miami to join the Washington protest. It seems that the line between patriotism and power is sometimes blurred.
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