PHOENIX — Thousands of people gathered for “No Kings” demonstrations on Saturday across the country and Arizona, protesting President Donald Trump.

“No Kings is a national day of action and mass mobilization in response to increasing authoritarian excesses and corruption from Trump and his allies,” the organization wrote on an event listing for Saturday’s demonstration at the state capitol in Phoenix.

“We’ve watched as they’ve cracked down on free speech, detained people for their political values, threatened to deport American citizens and defied the courts. They’ve done this all while continuing to serve and enrich their billionaire allies.”

Meanwhile, the Trump administration was planning for an expensive military parade in Washington D.C. in honor of the Army’s 250th anniversary — the motive for the “No Kings” demonstrations — which coincided with his own birthday .

In addition to the demonstration at the state capitol, which was scheduled to run from 9 a.m. to noon, there were other “No Kings” events held in Mesa, Buckeye and Casa Grande, according to its website .

Several other demonstrations popped up across the Valley, including in Chandler and Scottsdale.