WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� As the nation's capital cleans up from the of this past weekend, focus now shifts to a very different massive event 鈥� Saturday's to honor the 250th birthday of the Army and the 79th birthday of President Donald Trump.
鈥淲e鈥檙e preparing for an enormous turnout,鈥� said Matt McCool of the Secret Service's Washington Field office, who said more than 18 miles of 鈥渁nti-scale fencing鈥� would be erected and 鈥渕ultiple drones鈥� would be in the air. The entire District of Columbia is normally a no-fly zone for drones.
Army officials have estimated around 200,000 attendees for the evening military parade, and McCool said he was prepared for "hundreds of thousands" of people.
鈥淲e have a ton of magnetometers,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f a million people show up, then we're going to have some lines.鈥�
A total of 175 magnetometers would be used at security checkpoints controlling access to the daytime birthday festival and the nighttime parade. Metropolitan Police Department chief Pamela Smith predicted 鈥渕ajor impacts to traffic鈥� and advised attendees to arrive early and consider forgoing cars for the Metro.
鈥淭his is a significant event with a large footprint,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e're relying on the public to be an extra set of ears and eyes for us.鈥�
The military parade has been designated a National Special Security Event 鈥� similar to a presidential inauguration or state funeral. That status is reserved for events that draw large crowds and potential mass protests. It calls for an enhanced degree of high-level coordination among D.C. officials, the FBI, Capitol Police and Washington鈥檚 National Guard contingent 鈥� with the Secret Service taking the lead.
The Army birthday celebration had already been planned for months. But earlier this spring, Trump announced his intention to transform the event 鈥� which coincides with his 79th birthday 鈥� into a massive military parade complete with 60-ton M1 Abrams battle tanks and Paladin self-propelled howitzers rolling through the city streets.
Multiple counter-protests of varying sizes are planned for Saturday, with the largest being a mass march to the White House. Officials say they are also on alert for signs that the between law enforcement and protesters currently roiling Los Angeles would spread.
鈥淲e're paying attention, obviously, to what is happening there. We'll be ready,鈥� McCool said. 鈥淲e have a robust plan for civil disobedience.鈥�
Agent Phillip Bates of the FBI's Washington Field office, which is tasked with counterterrorism and crisis management, said there were 鈥渘o credible threats鈥� to the event at the moment.
Lindsey Appiah, the deputy mayor for public safety, told The Associated Press last week that the city had longstanding plans for the Army birthday celebration. But those plans 鈥済ot a lot bigger on short notice鈥� when Trump got involved.
Still, Appiah said the city has grown 鈥渧ery flexible, very nimble鈥� at rolling with these sort of changes.
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This story was first published on June 9, 2025. It was published again on June 10, 2025, to delete an incorrect reference to a march to the White House being dubbed the No Kings rally. No Kings isn鈥檛 staging that march.
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For more details, including road closures and security restrictions, go to the D.C. government's .
By Ashraf Khalil, The Associated Press
