Pittsburgh officials are preparing for No Kings Day demonstrations against the Trump administration and hoping to work with protesters in maintaining peace.
Director of Public Safety Lee Schmidt on Thursday said officers are communicating with protest organizers to coordinate the best way to “protect their First Amendment rights and ensure safety of anyone who is participating in demonstrations.”
On Saturday, thousands are expected to gather downtown outside the City-County Building on Grant Street, in a show of unification, with cities across the U.S., as part of a nationwide No Kings protest against President Donald Trump and his administration’s recent crackdown on immigration.
Tensions in the U.S. surrounding immigration policy rose early this week when Trump deployed 4,000 members of the National Guard in response to immigration protests in Los Angeles on Sunday.
Pennsylvania National Guard spokesman Wayne Hall said Trump did not attempt to mobilize any guardsmen for the Pittsburgh, Philadelphia or Harrisburg rallies.
So far, Schmidt said there has been no indication of potential civil unrest in the area, but there will be additional officers in case there are traffic management issues as well as street blockades put in place to allow protesters to march. Schmidt could not provide information on what streets will be closed off as routes could change.
The nationwide demonstration, organized by 50501 Movement, has over 200 organizations listed as partners so far, according to the No Kings website. Around the same time Saturday, tanks and artillery launchers are expected to roll through Washington, D.C., as part of a parade honoring the Army’s 250th anniversary, which falls on Trump’s birthday.
Pittsburgh No Kings protest organizers filed special event permits and registered the demonstrations with the city, Schmidt said. Police will maintain a barrier between the No Kings movement and any potential counter protests.
Gov. Josh Shapiro also called for maintaining peaceful protests across the state this weekend, saying “violence is not an answer to any political differences.”
“The right to peacefully protest and exercise our First Amendment is a sacred American right — and here in Pennsylvania, we will always protect it,” he said. “I will stand in defense of this constitutional right and work to ensure all Pennsylvanians can exercise it safely and peacefully.”
At another protest organized by local union organizations on Monday, Mayor Ed Gainey showed support against the Trump administration immigration policy.
“They wanted to fix immigration. You don’t do it by sticking ICE on men. You do it by federal legislation,” Gainey said to TribLive.
Other No Kings protests are planned for Saturday in Greensburg, Mt. Lebanon, Washington County, Cranberry Township and Beaver County. Protests also are taking place in Philadelphia and the Harrisburg area.
