EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was first published here, at ColoradoSun.com
DENVER | Thousands of protesters gathered around the steps of the Colorado Capitol on Wednesday then marched through Downtown Denver to demand the state’s elected leaders to take action against the federal funding freeze and other Trump administration policies being enacted.
The rally was one of a number of demonstrations across the country to protest President Donald Trump’s early actions — from the immigration crackdown to his rollback of transgender rights and a proposal to forcibly transfer Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.
Outside the Capitol, protestors wore Mexican flags around their shoulders and waved gay pride flags in the air. Others held handwritten signs that read “Fight Facism,” “We the People Say No to Project 2025,” and “Together we rise.”
Many of the protesters were Hispanic high school students, some who said they were there for their parents because they were too scared to attend or too scared to voice their opinions.
Several people held signs that read: “Para mis Padres que vinieron sin nada y me dieron todo” — which translates to “For my parents who came with nothing and gave me everything.”
“My people come here and work so hard. They provide for this economy, this state, this country,” Lizz Valeria said. “I’m here because my mom can’t be here. She’s too scared to go out, to go to the grocery store.”
Lisa Wehrli, deputy chief of climate and safety for Denver Public Schools, said students at North, West, Lincoln, Manuel and CEC Early College left classes at about 10 a.m. “and they marched here. Lincoln rode the RTD. I don’t know what time they got here.”
Colorado State Patrol said the crowd was about 4,000 people around noon at the Capitol to listen to speeches, before they started marching just before 3 p.m. Protesters streamed from the West Steps across Lincoln and Civic Center parks to Denver City Hall, filling in more as marchers made their way along Colfax in a sea of people flowing from the Auraria rail station.
Aden Nix, of Northglenn, stood on the steps of the Capitol hoping to rally the crowd to stand up for immigrants’ rights.
He told The Colorado Sun his aunt was recently detained by federal immigration agents even though she is documented.
“There’s nothing different between us and Americans. We are still people,” said Nix, a first-generation American. “Like I said on stage, this is a country that’s built upon immigrants. It’s something America has always been proud of.”
Before going to the state Capitol, some protesters started at the Denver offices of U.S. Sens. John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet.
Diane Connolly, of Boulder, was among 15 people who waited outside Hickenlooper’s office Wednesday morning, asking for the senator to take more action to stop the Trump administration’s sweeping changes in what she called a “constitutional crisis.”
“I am incredibly concerned, scared and outraged that we have a private citizen who is in our national computers at (the Office of Personnel Management), at the Treasury, and I believe in other federal entities with unfettered access to all our personal data,” Connolly said of Elon Musk, who was appointed as a special government employee under Trump.
“I’m really, really disappointed that we’re getting, sort of, Democrats as usual in a situation that is a constitutional crisis. The house is being burnt down right now, and we’re getting an introduction of bills,” she said.
Before meeting with Hickenlooper’s aides for about 30 minutes Wednesday morning, Connolly said she spoke with Bennet’s staff outside his office to share similar concerns, calling for more leadership by Colorado’s elected senators.
Moments after the meeting, Hickenlooper shared a video to social media urging people to “use every tool” at their disposal “to disrupt the chaotic actions of the Trump administration.”
“If they try to force through another nominee that will harm Colorado, I will oppose them. If we need to hold the Senate floor, vote all night, or disrupt business as usual, we’ll do it,” Hickenlooper said.
“Let’s get so loud they can’t drown us out. We’re in this fight together.”
Person holding a rainbow flag with an eagle emblem in front of a large government building.
Mike Stolp-Smith, of Evergreen, said they felt “desperate” and showed up to Hickenlooper’s office Wednesday after they felt their letters weren’t enough to bring attention to legislation that is threatening their loved ones.
“I’ve been queer my whole life. I came into my own under George Bush when there was a lot of this anti-gay and anti-LGBT rhetoric in general and I’m seeing it in this resurgence,” Stolp-Smith said. “Now I’m here to defend myself and I’m asking them to help defend me. As it stands, I do not feel like they are going to protect me.
“I’m so desperate to do something. And it’s not just me, it’s my community, the man that I love,” they said, breaking down crying. “It’s everyone I care about and I want this country to be what it purports itself to be. I want it to live up to the best of its ideals.”
This is a developing story that will be updated.
This is laughable. Our two senators have absolutely no authority in this current congress to enact any sort of fight against the administrations actions. All they can do is sit back and watch the slash and burn of the Federal Government by the new administration. Don’t like it? Ask how come 45 million registered voters didn’t vote in the election. Ask how come the liberals so badly wanted Joe Biden in 2020 when there so many better candidates who were in touch with the needs of the American people (btw, Kamala Harris was not one if them). We are getting what we deserve. Time to start getting used to it because now that the conservatives basically own all three branches of the government they’re not going to give it up easily.