The Army turns 250. Trump turns 79. Cue funnel cakes, festive bling, military might — and protest

WASHINGTON (AP) — There were funnel cakes, stands of festival bling and American flags aplenty. There were mighty machines of war, brought out to dazzle and impress. And there was the spray of tear gas against demonstrators in Los Angeles and Atlanta, and rolling waves of anti-Trump resistance coast to coast.

In scenes of celebration, protest and trepidation Saturday, masses of Americans cheered for a rousing Army parade like none seen in Washington in generations. Masses more rallied across the country against a president derided by his critics as an authoritarian, would-be king.

On Saturday, the U.S. Army turned 250 and President Donald Trump 79. The double birthday bash energized crowds of well-wishers and military families in the capital while others decried the militarization of city streets — in Los Angeles, where a federalized National Guard and U.S. Marines remained deployed against unrest, and in Washington for the parade.

In these times, the fault lines of American life were evident.

“One nation under distress,” read a sign carried in a crowd of 1,000 protesters on the grounds of Florida’s old Capitol in Tallahassee. Forewarned of a heavy state response if the crowd caused any trouble, organizers implored the peaceful protesters to not so much as jaywalk.

Yet, in his Trump 2024 shirt, retired American Airlines pilot Larry Stallard happily lived out “one thing on my bucket list” from his perch on the parade route. Stallard, 82, came from Kansas City for the event. He declared Trump “one of the best presidents in my lifetime” and concluded, “It's been a long day, but it's worth it.”

Trump's remarks, about eight minutes, were brief for him as he capped the showy parade he had longed for in his first term and, early in his second, finally got.

“There is no earthly force more powerful than the brave heart of the U.S. military or an Army Ranger paratrooper or Green Beret,” he told the crowd. From Bunker Hill to the mountains of Afghanistan, the president said, “the Army has forged a legacy of unmatched courage, untold sacrifice.”

Spirited “No Kings” protests unfolded in cities and towns across the American republic. But in Minnesota, Gov. Tim Walz asked people to stay away from anti-Trump demonstrations after the assassination of state lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, by a gunman still on the loose.

In Los Angeles, epicenter of days-long protests sparked by Trump's crackdown on immigrants, police on horseback charged a previously calm crowd, firing tear gas and crowd control projectiles. "We weren’t doing anything but standing around chanting peaceful protest,” said Samantha Edgerton, a 37-year-old bartender.

Law enforcement officers in Atlanta deployed tear gas to divert several hundred nonviolent protesters heading toward Interstate 285 in the northern part of the city. In Culpeper, Virginia, one person was struck by an SUV that police say was intentionally accelerated into the crowd as protesters were leaving an event.

In Washington, more than 6,000 soldiers marched in period-by-period uniforms, dating back to the garb of the ragtag Continental Army and the rise of a nation that would become the world’s most potent military power. In the mix: tanks, parachute jumps and flyovers by more than 60 aircraft.

With evening thunderstorms in the forecast, the parade started well ahead of schedule. In the first 40 minutes, it sped through more than 200 years of Army history, from 1775 to 1991.

Vietnam-era helicopters, including the Huey, roared overhead, as did World War II-vintage aircraft. Sherman tanks, used extensively in that war's European theater, rumbled in the procession along with modern machinery. The Army's Golden Knights parachute team jumped early, releasing streaks of red smoke across the sky and making the crowd scream with excitement as they floated to the ground.

At the festival earlier, attendees sported apparel celebrating both the Army and Trump. Vendors moved through the crowd, selling Trump-themed merchandise, while others offered gear commemorating the Army’s milestone.

It was all too much for Wind Euler, 62, who flew from Arizona to join the protesters. “My father was a Marine in Iwo Jima, and he was a Republican," Euler said. "I think he would be appalled by the fascist display this parade shows.”

In a camouflage jacket and Army baseball hat, Army veteran Aaron Bogner of Culpeper, Virginia, decried how he believes Trump is using the U.S. military to advance a personal agenda. “I think it’s shameful," Bogner said. “It’s just an engineered birthday party. It’s an excuse to have tanks in your streets like North Korea.”

Above all, Bogner said, he came to protest the deployment of U.S. troops in Los Angeles after lawlessness broke out in pockets of the city along with peaceful demonstrations. “I’m struggling to understand when it became unpatriotic to protest,” he said.

In Atlanta, police yelled “unlawful assembly” and “you must disperse” into megaphones as they used tear gas to divert protesters off the road. The tear gas caused the crowd to disperse away from the interstate. Two police helicopters flew above as the crowd moved.

Police in Charlotte, North Carolina, used bicycles to corral marchers. After the main “No Kings” march ended in Charlotte, a second, unpermitted march began, producing a police confrontation.

Officers formed a barricade with bicycles and yelled “move back” as protesters attempted to march through uptown Charlotte. In response, demonstrators chanted “let us walk” as police continued to shift them back. Protesters also shouted “peaceful protest” and “no more Nazis.”

Associated Press writers Mike Stewart in Atlanta; Kate Payne in Tallahassee, Florida; Jake Offenhartz in Los Angeles and Jacques Billeaud in Culpeper, Virginia, contributed.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attend a military parade commemorating the Army's 250th anniversary, coinciding with his 79th birthday, Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attend a military parade commemorating the Army's 250th anniversary, coinciding with his 79th birthday, Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

President Donald Trump speaks during a military parade commemorating the Army's 250th anniversary Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Fireworks burst over the Ellipse during an event to honor the Army's 250th anniversary, coinciding with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday, Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Law enforcement on horseback disperse demonstrators during a protest Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

Law enforcement officers stand guard during a protest Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

Law enforcement on horseback disperse demonstrators during a protest Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and other guests attend a military parade commemorating the Army's 250th anniversary, coinciding with his 79th birthday, Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

A protestor walks through downtown Philadelphia with an upside down American flag, Saturday, June 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

President Donald Trump, center, salutes passing troops during a parade to honor the Army's 250th anniversary, coinciding with Trump's 79th birthday, Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Washington. (Doug Mills/The New York Times via AP, Pool)

A military parade commemorating the Army's 250th anniversary, coinciding with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday, Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

People watch a military parade commemorating the Army's 250th anniversary Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Roxy Sotu, left, and her fiancée Athena Godoy hug during a "No Kings" protest Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attend a military parade commemorating the Army's 250th anniversary, coinciding with his 79th birthday, Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

A military parade commemorating the Army's 250th anniversary and coinciding with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday, Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)