Bennito L. Kelty
Audio By Carbonatix
Today at noon, there will be a One Year Is Enough: No ICE, No War, No Trump! rally at the Colorado State Capitol. A week ago, hundreds of protesters showed up there for a nighttime demonstration against Immigration and Customs Enforcement and in honor of Renee Nicole Good, the Colorado native shot and killed in Minneapolis by an ICE agent.
“We’re here because we’re tired of the damage that the government is causing communities,” said Jeanette Vizguerra, the high-profile immigrant activist who was detained by ICE in Aurora for nine months. “Renee didn’t have to lose her life. She just wanted to help and support the undocumented community.”
One of the protesters in the crowd on January 9, an artist who was dressed in an inflatable bear suit, says that she was subsequently doxxed by people who said they would disrupt her business…or worse. In their comments on the Westword Facebook post of that story, readers weighed in on the price of free speech. Says Steven:
While we all have freedom of choice, none of us should have freedom of CONSEQUENCES…
Adds Kristel:
I appreciate what she’s doing and would love to support a small business, but anyone doing this needs to get comfortable with the fact that your actions don’t exist in a vacuum and your “normal life” can be impacted by any sort of actions you choose to take, in costume or not. If the cause is important to you, you kinda just have to weigh the potential downsides of being proud and vocal about that cause.
Responds Reilly:
Yet when a Republican gets doxxed, its called “domestic terrorism.”
Suggests Jason:
Fuck that. Stand on business. If you’re out there protesting in a costume where your face is visible, you assume certain risk, true. But stand on your principle, ten toes down. If you’re more concerned about your business over standing up for what’s right, why did you go out there in the first place? Save the cowardice for those fat, uneducated, untrained thugs you are railing against.
Observes Nikolas:
For being a ‘liberal/progressive’ city, it’s weird that Denver has so many Trump/MAGA sympathizers… it’s like people in this city who are moderate/apolitical also try to rationalize with their far-right friends in Highlands Ranch/Colorado Springs/etc. Stupid people have come out of the woodwork and become more vocal with their misinformed confidence since Trump was elected…I doubt that any Trump-supporting Broncos fans with tickets to Saturday’s game will skip it because of Denver’s politics.
Comments Nicole:
We do not want to allow what’s happening in Minnesota to be invited into our state! We need to unite as a whole to protect our state before it’s too late! You now that Colorado has to be next on his list, right? I know we are better than this. We can not allow this to continue.
Concludes Valerie:
Well, seems as though we need to show up and give EXTRA support for the humans around us.
Will you be at the Capitol today? What do you think of the protests? Post a comment or share your thoughts at editorial@westword.com.
