US President Donald Trump's long-sought military parade rolled though the streets of downtown Washington, but the celebration of the US Army's 250th anniversary was marred by a day of violence and protest.
In the hours before the parade began, hundreds of thousands of Americans marched and rallied in streets in cities from New York to Chicago to Los Angeles, protesting Mr Trump's actions while in office, in the largest such actions since his return to power in January.
The parade, which fell on Mr Trump's 79th birthday, kicked off earlier than expected with thunderstorms forecast in the Washington area.
Tanks, armoured personnel carriers and artillery rumbled down the parade route along Constitution Avenue, an unusual sight in the US where such displays of military might are rare.
"Every other country celebrates their victories, it's about time America did too," Mr Trump told the crowd following the parade.
Watch: Donald Trump salutes during US military parade in Washington
Thousands of spectators lined up along the route. The president watched the proceedings from an elevated viewing stand behind bulletproof glass.
Some of the president's opponents also managed to find a spot along the parade route, holding signs in protest. Other demonstrators were kept separate from the parade crowd by local police.
Mr Trump was quick to condemn the attacks outside Minneapolis in which former state speaker Melissa Hortman died along with her husband, while another state politician John Hoffman and his wife Yvette were shot and wounded.
Military parades are a more common sight in capitals like Moscow and Pyongyang than Washington, but Mr Trump has openly expressed his wishes for one since his first term.
His dream came true with a $45-million spectacle.
The procession began with a 21-gun salute followed by the presentation of a flag to Mr Trump by the army's Golden Knights parachute team who dropped from the sky.
The US Army brought nearly 7,000 troops into Washington, along with 150 vehicles, including more than 25 M1 Abrams tanks, 28 Stryker armoured vehicles, four Paladin self-propelled artillery vehicles, and artillery pieces including the M777 and M119.
The parade traced the history of the army from its founding during the Revolutionary War through modern day. Mr Trump frequently stood and saluted troops as they marched by.
Members of his cabinet including Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio looked on.
Mr Trump had first expressed interest in a military parade in Washington early in his first 2017-2021 term in office.
In 1991, tanks and thousands of troops paraded through Washington to celebrate the ousting of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's forces from Kuwait in the Gulf War.
The celebrations were expected to cost the US Army between $25 million and $45 million, US officials said. That includes the parade itself as well as the cost of moving equipment and housing and feeding the troops.
Critics have called the parade an authoritarian display of power that is wasteful, especially given Mr Trump has said he wants to slash costs throughout the federal government.
Bryan Henrie, a Trump supporter, flew in from Texas to celebrate the Army's anniversary and did not see any issues with tanks rolling down the streets of Washington.
"I don't see a controversy. I will celebrate safety and stability any day over anarchy," the 61-year-old said.
Earlier in the day, thousands marched in Washington and other cities in protest of Mr Trump's policies. The demonstrations were largely peaceful, and marked the largest outpouring of opposition to Trump's presidency since he returned to power in January.
In Los Angeles, however, the situation remained tense. About an hour before a downtown curfew, police officers mounted on horses were aggressively pushing back demonstrators, using gas, flash bangs and other less lethal munitions, causing large groups to panic and flee.
Protesters were firing what police called commercial-grade fireworks against officers, along with rocks and bottles. Some demonstrators wore gas masks and helmets and vowed to stay in the area for many more hours.
A crowd earlier had confronted soldiers guarding a federal building, yelling "Shame! Shame!" and "Marines, get out of LA!"
California's Governor Gavin Newsom, who slammed Trump for sending National Guard troops into Los Angeles without his consent, called it a "vulgar display of weakness."
Anti-Trump groups planned nearly 2,000 demonstrations across the country to coincide with the parade.
Many took place under the theme "No Kings," asserting that no individual is above the law.
Thousands of people of all ages turned out in and around Bryant Park in Midtown Manhattan, many carrying homemade signs that played off the "No Kings" theme. "No crown for a clown," said one.
Actor Mark Ruffalo was among the demonstrators, wearing a hat that read "immigrant."
"We're seeing dehumanising language towards LGBT people, towards people with autism, towards people with other disabilities, racial minorities, undocumented people," said Cooper Smith, 20, from upstate New York. "Somebody's got to show that most Americans are against this."
Protesters in downtown Chicago stood off against police yesterday, with some waving upside-down American flags and chanting: "Who do you protect? Who do you serve?" and "No justice, no peace."
Members of the far-right Proud Boys, ardent Trump supporters, appeared at an Atlanta "No Kings" protest, wearing the group's distinctive black and yellow colours.
About 400 protesters, organised by a group called RefuseFascism.org, marched through Washington and gathered for a rally in a park opposite the White House.
Mr Trump had warned people against protesting at the parade itself, saying that "they're going to be met with very big force."
Sunsara Taylor, a founder of Refuse Fascism, told the crowd, "today we refuse to accept Donald Trump unleashing the military against the people of this country and in the streets of this country. We say, 'Hell no.'"
