Thousands of Coloradans are expected to turn out in downtown Denver — and more than 50 other cities in the state — on Saturday to stage protests against recent immigration crackdowns and executive orders from the Trump administration that have led to violent clashes and arrests in several American cities this past week.
The so-called “No Kings” protests, which are scheduled for locations as far-flung as Cortez and Lamar, are meant to coincide with a military parade on Saturday in Washington, D.C., to mark the Army’s 250th anniversary. Saturday is also Trump’s 79th birthday.
Colorado’s rallies are being held as part of a national effort to turn out large crowds in cities and towns across America.
“They’ve defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services,” a statement on the No Kings website reads. “The corruption has gone too. far. No thrones. No crowns. No kings.”
What to know about ‘No Kings’ protests against Trump’s policies on Saturday
Jennifer Bradley, a spokeswoman for the Colorado chapter of the national anti-Trump organization 50501, said the goal of the No Kings event in Denver “is to bring the people of Denver together in direct contact with the activism community.”
“A lot of the feedback we have received has been asking about how to get plugged in once the marches and rallies are over,” she said Friday. “We see a need for a place for community building, education and people empowerment, so we decided to create that gathering place with this event.”
To that end, the group will hold a No Kings People’s Fair from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at Lincoln Veterans Memorial Park, just west of the state Capitol, complete with exhibits, music and games. 50501 Denver is partnering with Party for Social Liberalism, Women’s Strike and Raise Her Voice, Solidarity Warriors and Denver Indivisible Action to put on the fair, which the group is projecting will attract 8,000 to 12,000 people.
With that volume of people downtown, concerns have arisen about protests turning to riots, as has occurred several nights in a row in Los Angeles, where the demonstrations against Trump’s immigration raids first cropped up on June 6.
An unnamed spokesperson with the Denver Police Department told JS on Friday that the agency will “monitor any demonstrations and have resources available to respond, if necessary, to address any safety issues.”
“We do not share specific planning or staffing strategies for safety reasons,” the statement read. “The department respects people’s right to demonstrate and encourages demonstrations be conducted in a safe and lawful manner.”
Jordan Fuja, spokeswoman for Denver Mayor Michael Johnston’s office, said the mayor “has consistently condemned the Trump Administration’s actions as deeply immoral and illegal.”
“He supports the right of Denverites to peacefully protest — something they’ve done regularly since Trump took office,” she said.
On Tuesday, a downtown Denver protest against Trump immigration policies turned chaotic, with 18 people arrested on charges that included assaulting police officers, throwing projectiles and tagging property with graffiti. A woman suspected of assaulting an officer resisted arrest and scratched the officer’s face, according to an arrest affidavit.
Another man raised a guitar over his head and tried to swing it at officers, his arrest affidavit stated.
While the No Kings rally organizers issued a press release earlier this week denouncing the Trump administration for escalating “militarized crackdowns in Los Angeles against peaceful protesters,” numerous reports and images from a wide array of media outlets showed many protesters being anything but.
The Associated Press reported people standing above the closed southbound 101 Freeway throwing chunks of concrete, rocks, electric scooters and fireworks at California Highway Patrol officers and their vehicles that were parked on the highway. Officers ran under an overpass to take cover.
Nearby, at least four self-driving Waymo cars were set on fire, sending large plumes of black smoke into the sky and exploding intermittently as the electric vehicles burned. A video of a man hurling rocks at the windshields of Immigration and Customs Enforcement SUVs driving past went viral.
Bradley, with 50501, said the No Kings rally in Denver on Saturday “will be joyful and engaging as the purpose of this event is people empowerment.”
“50501 remains committed to our values of nonviolence, inclusivity and conflict resolution,” she said. “We have trained our on-the-ground volunteers on how to handle any situation that seems elevated, and they are supported by our safety marshals and medics.”
A separate ICE Out! protest to stop deportations will be at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Capitol building, the Denver branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation posted on Instagram.
In Parker, headlines were made this week when town officials denied a permit to a group planning to hold a No Kings rally in the southern suburb — on the same day when the festival Parker Days is planned.
“In no uncertain terms, they told me to cancel it,” organizer Carolyn Williamson told JS this week, remembering a joint call from the town’s attorney and chief of police. “They said, ‘You can say whatever you want, but not on the public sidewalks during Parker Days’.”
On Friday, town spokesman Andy Anderson said the police department expects the No Kings rally to “proceed peacefully and without incident, both with respect to the participants and any other members of the public.”
“Since the Parker Days Festival is occurring at the same time, our police department has significantly increased general staffing levels in an effort to safeguard all individuals in the town on Saturday,” Anderson said.
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