Man Arrested for Purposely Mowing Down Crowd at Virginia Rally

Four police officers were injured in Portland and a man 'intentionally' drove into a crowd of protestors in Virginia as 'No Kings Day' protests descended into chaos across the country.

The violence broke out following President Donald Trump 's birthday military parade in Washington D.C. and anti-Trump marches across the country.

It was a scene of chaos as hundreds of protesters clad in black clashed with federal officers at the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Portland's South Waterfront.

Federal officers decked out in tactical gear deployed smoke, tear gas, flash grenades and other projectiles as demonstrators threw fireworks and water bottles in response.

Some even used a stop sign to smash through one of the doors to the ICE facility.

Earlier in the day, several thousands had gathered downtown for a number of 'No Kings' protest across the city but it was only after 6pm that the protests grew violent.

Joseph R. Checklick Jr., 21, drove his SUV through a dispersing crowd in a parking lot in northern Virginia , which led to him 'striking at least one person with his vehicle,' police said in a statement.

The protest took place throughout Saturday afternoon in Culpeper, a small town roughly 70 miles from Washington, D.C.

Checklick was charged with reckless driving. He could face more charges in the future, as the investigation is active and ongoing, police said. He is being held without bond at the Culpeper County Jail.

Culpeper Democrats posted on Facebook, thanking Culpeper Police Department for their 'quick response and for keeping our protest safe.'

Because the investigation is still in its early stages, a police spokesperson said they were not releasing any information regarding alleged motives for Checklick Jr's actions.

Social media reports showed large crowds at the 'No Kings Day' protest in Culpeper, with organizers claiming that more than 600 people showed up.

The person who was struck by his vehicle also hasn't been identified.

Across the country, there have been some 2,000 'No Kings Day' protests, with attendees pushing back against what they describe as Trump's march toward authoritarianism on issues such as immigration enforcement, civil rights and cuts to the federal government through DOGE.

Police in Los Angeles deployed less lethal munitions as protesters hurled concrete, rocks and fireworks at officers followed a day of mostly-peaceful protests in the City of Angels.

A curfew went into effect for a small portion of downtown Los Angeles at nightfall as the protests continued.

The curfew, which started at 8pm and will last until through until 6am.

The curfew area does not cover the whole city, but just one square mile in downtown.

Demonstrations in Los Angeles against  Trump's immigration crackdown have served as a flashpoint for protests nationwide and prompted Trump to deploy military troops to the region, sparking further outrage.

Mass protests as part of the national 'No Kings' movement proceeded largely peacefully in the city today, but there were some clashes with law enforcement downtown this evening as officers tried to clear remaining protesters in the hours leading up to the curfew.

In all, seven officers with the LAPD were injured during confrontations with demonstrators, though none of the injuries were severe enough to warrant hospitalization, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said.

Saturday night's curfew was the the fifth consecutive night where Mayor Bass has called for one.

In Utah, One person was critically injured during a shooting in Salt Lake City when gunfire erupted during the 'No Kings' march.

'No Kings' organizers said protesters gathered in hundreds of cities with large crowds seen in several cities.

Organizers said they were protesting against Trump's dictatorial overreach, and in particular what they described as the strongman symbolism of the parade.

'I think people are mad as hell,' Lindsay Ross, a 28-year-old musician, said in New York, where tens of thousands of people rallied.

Some protesters targeted Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

'I think it's disgusting,' protester Sarah Hargrave, 42, said in the Washington suburb of Bethesda, describing Trump's parade as a 'display of authoritarianism.'

At the end of a day of protests, President Trump hosted the largest US military parade in decades on his 79th birthday.

Trump hailed the United States as the 'hottest country in the world' after watching tanks, aircraft and troops file past him in Washington to honor the 250th anniversary of the US army.

Trump largely avoided his usual domestic political diatribes in an unusually brief speech, and instead focused on praising the US army, saying that they 'fight, fight, fight, and they win, win, win.'

The last such parade in the United States was at the end of the 1991 Gulf War.

When it came, Trump stood and saluted on a stage outside the White House as tanks rumbled past, aircraft roared overhead and nearly 7,000 troops marched past.

Troops and military hardware from different eras of US history passed by, with an announcer reeling off victories in battles with Japanese, German, Chinese and Vietnamese forces in past wars.

The army said the parade cost up to $45 million.

But while the crowd sang 'Happy Birthday' and there were occasional chants of 'USA! USA!', the atmosphere was less intense than one of the barnstorming rallies that swept Trump to power.

The White House said that 'over 250,000 patriots showed up' for the event, without providing evidence. Communications Director Steven Cheung described the 'No Kings' protests as a 'complete and utter failure.'

In his address to the parade, Trump sent a warning to Washington's adversaries of 'total and complete' defeat, with the United States increasingly at risk of getting tangled up in Israel's conflict with Iran.

'Time and again, America's enemies have learned that if you threaten the American people, our soldiers are coming for you,' Trump said.

Trump had openly dreamed since his first term as president of having a grand military parade, of the type more often seen in Moscow or Pyongyang than Washington.

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