DENVER (KDVR) — Thousands of protesters took to the streets across Colorado on Saturday as part of the nationwide “No Kings” march to show their views on the current state of American politics and the Trump administration.
Organizers said the marches are scheduled to be held at 74 locations across the state, and they estimated that at least 20,000 demonstrators participated in Saturday’s march.
In Denver, several roads were closed around the Colorado Capitol and the downtown Denver area as they marched. The demonstration was scheduled to end around 4 p.m
“It’s really about working people coming together to speak out against the rise of authoritarianism,” said Nate Beyer, a mental health care worker and member of SEIU Local 105.
The rally in Denver included unionized service workers and state employees protesting a range of federal actions, including cuts to health care subsidies and mass layoffs of federal workers.
“I think people are fed up,” Beyer said. “A lot of our communities, especially immigrant communities, are afraid to just exist. So, I think we are here too standing up to protect each other today.”
Tiffany Weber, one of the organizers of the No Kings march and part of Solidarity Warriors, said there were a lot of people at the Denver march.
“The march was 1.7 miles long and the front returned before the rear left,” Weber said.
The protests were part of a larger national movement that organizers said aims to “resist” what they call the president’s “abuse of power.”
In Broomfield, demonstrators lined Sheridan Avenue and 120th Street, waving signs at traffic.
In Fort Collins, a crowd of people gathered at Civic Center Park to participate in a march on Saturday morning. Also in Arvada, demonstrators marched through Old Town, some wearing costumes inspired by demonstrations in Portland, Oregon.
“We’re not out to hurt or harm people — just making our voices heard,” said Ken Truhan, an Arvada protester who was dressed in an inflatable dinosaur costume. “Costumes are a fun, playful, non-threatening way to do that.”
“So many people are losing funding, jobs, science, research and education,” added Heather Truhan, who was also wearing an inflatable dinosaur costume. “We’re going to feel the pain of what’s happening for a very long time. So this is the way we can break free and try to stand up.”
The Denver rally was attended by Brighton resident Gary Livingston, who also dressed as Spider-Man.
“It sends a message that we can have fun. They’re peaceful protests. We don’t believe in violence, it’s just fun,” Livingston said.
Denver police issued traffic warnings throughout the day due to road closures associated with the marches. The police have since reopened those roads to traffic.
In a social media post, Denver police described the protest as “peaceful.” However, the administration noted that officers arrested a person on charges of “possession of a weapon (knife).”