Military parade celebrates 250 years of US military

The grand military parade that President Donald Trump had been wanting for eight years kicked off Saturday with tanks, troops and a 21-gun salute, playing out against the counterpoint of protesters around the country who decried the US leader as a dictator and would-be king.

The Republican president, on his 79th birthday, sat on a special viewing stand south of the White House to watch the display of American military might, which began early as light rain fell and dark clouds loomed.

While the parade passed through Washington DC, onlookers gathered and some held up "No kings" signs, emulating protests taking place around the country.

The city of Los Angeles has seen uninterrupted protests since 6 June, initially taking place against Trump's severe anti-immigration policy and round-ups of immigrants by ICE agents, which were described as kidnappings in many cases.

The parade is a procession Trump tried to make happen in his first term after seeing such an event in Paris in 2017, but the plans never came together until this year, when it was added to an event recognizing the Army's 250th anniversary.

The parade ended with fireworks, which Trump watched together with First Lady Melania Trump.