Thousands gather across Colorado for ‘No Kings’ protest against Trump administration
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DENVER — In one of the largest demonstrations since the social justice protests of 2020 following the death of George Floyd, thousands of protesters gathered at sites across Colorado Saturday to speak out against the Trump administration and its policies.
At more than a dozen places across the state, people raised signs, chanted and marched.
Rallies were planned Saturday from Grand Junction to Colorado Springs, Denver to Durango and many other places between.
In Grand Junction Saturday morning, hundreds gathered peacefully, snarling traffic.
In Colorado Springs, a speaker urged the large crowd to remain peaceful and stay out of the street.
In Parker, people held signs up and lined roads as cars drove past.
In Genesee, people stood on a bridge over I-70 and held signs up for cars passing to see.
Denver
In Denver, police shut down Lincoln Street at the Lincoln Veterans Memorial Park near the Colorado State Capitol, so protesters could spill out into the street.
Marchers also walked on roads around downtown Denver: on Speer Boulevard and Colfax Avenue, among others.
Adam Young came to Denver from Golden Saturday to march. He was dressed as Uncle Sam as he held an upside down American flag marching on 17th Street in downtown Denver.
“This is America. You can’t treat America this way,” Young said of Trump’s policies.
The so-called “No Kings” rallies are designed as a catch-all for people to protest a wide range of policies from the Trump administration, from immigration enforcement actions to attacks on free speech and LGBTQ rights.
The Denver demonstration featured booths along Veterans park, urging people to get involved both in their communities and politically.
The protest was a center for intersectionality in political activism. While the main peg of the protest was against Trump, many people were protesting ICE, celebrating pride month, protesting for Palestinians and standing in solidarity with the protestors in Los Angeles.
The demonstrations are part of a national call for protests against the Trump administration. About 2,000 cities are holding protests on President Donald Trump’s birthday, the same day as he is holding a military parade in Washington, D.C.
Earlier this week, protesters demonstrated at the State Capitol to protest immigration enforcement actions. Those protests were largely peaceful with a handful of arrests in Denver after police used pepper balls and smoke canisters to disperse protesters near Broadway and I-25.
Denver Police reported early Wednesday that there were 17 arrests out of those protests.
Denver Police reported early Wednesday that there were 17 arrests out of those protests.
As of early Saturday afternoon, no clashing between demonstrators and police were observed or reported at protests across the state.
Saturday’s Denver demonstration was put on by Colorado 50501 Chapter, Party for Social Liberalism, Women’s Strike and Raise Her Voice, Solidarity Warriors, Denver Indivisible Action, Show Up for Good and Notes of Dissent.
The Denver march began at 12:19 p.m. down Lincoln, starting out in front of the state’s Capitol. It quickly spilled out onto adjoining streets across downtown.
By 3 p.m., streets around downtown were flooded with marchers. One group stopped at the intersection of 14th and Broadway.
At 3:25 p.m., Denver Police posted on social media that people should expect rolling road closures downtown due to the demonstration.
Police were also blocking pedestrian access to several areas, including from downtown northwest across Speer Boulevard to near I-25.
Grand Junction
Grand Junction’s protest brought out close to 1,000 people, according to the Grand Junction Police Department. While they are investigating one possible instance of harassment, the department says the demonstration was largely peaceful, with people chanting and waving homemade signs near an I-70 overpass as cars and trucks honked, rolling past.
Though some of the traffic was part of an organized counter protest, sporting American, Trump and Confederate flags, the vast majority of the drivers waved or gave a thumbs up to demonstrators.
Betty Tanksley, 81, came with her granddaughters, one of them pushing her wheelchair.
“I have never been this afraid for the country. This is the worst it's ever been,” she said.
She said she opposes how Trump is running the country and his support of the Israeli government.
“We are all one human race,” she said. “Let's act human.”
Surrounding her, people held up signs supporting veterans, immigrants and Medicare.
Greg, who didn’t want to give his last name for safety reasons, held up a sign reading “I can’t afford a private yacht, but public land is all I’ve got.”
“I know plenty of park rangers and they’re not corrupt. They’re the hardest-working people you could meet,” he said. “They get paid in sunsets.”
Greg worries how cuts will affect public lands, with even well-known national parks and monuments functioning with few resources and skeleton crews.
“What’s happening to the National Park Service right now is going to decimate the park service for decades,” he said. “I’m making sure that public lands stay in public hands.”
While Grand Junction voted for Trump three times, the city has seen regular protests since the 2024 election. Saturday’s demonstration was by far the largest.
Colorado Springs
Thousands of people filled downtown Colorado Springs and vehicles passing by honked in support of protesters.
People held signs on sidewalks and in medians near the intersection of Nevada and Platte avenues.
Jodi, a singer-songwriter also known as Omitolarising said they came out to the protest because it is about freedom.
"If we don't come back to love, I fear that we won't do anything but destroy ourselves," Omitolarising said.
Nearby, people chanted "What do we do? Stand up, fight back."
John Hawk is a 76-year-old retired teacher who has lived in Colorado Springs since 1974.
“I’m out today not only for myself but for our whole public — for the country,” Hawk said. “I believe in the Constitution. I believe in rights for all …. We the people means all the people, not just a few select people.”
Navy veteran Roger Stroklund said he was protesting because took an oath to support and defend the Constitution.
“And it’s about time the president actually realizes that’s his job, is to execute the laws set forth in the Constitution, written by the legislature, interpreted by the courts,” Strokland said. “And he is not doing that. He’s trying to be a dictator. We need to get rid of him.”
Parker
In Parker Saturday morning, Debbie Burke said she was protesting because voting was not enough.
“We've got to get our voices out there as loud as we can, in the biggest numbers we can find to show people that the Trump administration is not representing the country as a whole,” Burke said.
“I think the country is too divided and needs to be put together,” said Larry Dobkin in Parker. “Politicians are too tied up in whether they're Republican or Democrat and not so much interested in doing the job for the people.”
Editor's note: This story is based on eyewitness accounts from reporters unless stated and attributed.
CPR’s Tony Gorman, Haylee May, Stina Sieg, Allison Sherry, Hart Van Denburg and KRCC’s Andrea Chalfin contributed to this report.
Type of story: News
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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