From Cauldrons to Congress: Inside a Denver Ritual to Release the Epstein Files

Denver protesters burned onions, oregano and incense at the Cheesman Park Pavilion on Saturday, March 14, in a ritual to inspire the full release of the unredacted government files on sex criminal and shamed financier Jeffrey Epstein.

“Truth, not lies, from pedophiles,” chanted a circle of eighteen people. “I demand, release the Epstein files!”

The ritual is one of the latest creative endeavors put together by the Trash Heap Collective, a group that frequents Denver’s protests and likes to embrace a weird side. But adding spirituality to local demonstrations is nothing new, as Denver protesters seekd fresh ways to call out President Donald Trump and his questionable associations, including Epstein.

The Trash Heap Collective is best represented by its main emcee, JoJo, who dresses in colorful suits and posts oddball, gonzo-style coverage of protests on YouTube, Instagram and Reddit.

Documents released to the media show that Trump has long ties to Epstein. An artist has been erecting statues in front of the White House to mock their friendship, with an inscription calling Epstein Trump’s “closest friend” and depicting them holding hands or each other in a pose from the movie Titanic. Of course, Trump isn’t alone, as various rich and powerful personalities have suspicious and increasingly scrutinized links to Epstein and his associates, including Bill Gates, Bill Clinton and Boulder restaurateur (and Elon’s brother) Kimbal Musk. Even Colorado Congresswoman Diana DeGette‘s name appears, by way of an eager fundraiser trying to draw in Epstein.

The Department of Justice released more than 3 million pages of partially redacted emails, photos and law enforcement reports from the Epstein files in January, after about a half-million were released in November, when Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act. However, key parts of the files are still redacted, including the names of some of his associates and victims. The Clintons accused the Trump administration of leaving certain names, including theirs, unredacted in order to deflect outrage away from the president.

“Release the Epstein Files” is still a common demand from Denver protesters.

The Colorado Bridge Trolls, a growing group of protesters who like to wear costumes and blast music during demonstrations, dance beside a banner sharing that message with highway traffic. At large demonstrations at the Capitol, the demand for the full Epstein files appears on signs and placards about as often as “Fuck ICE.”

With no sign of more Epstein files information coming from the federal government, though, Trash Heap Collective members decided to take matters into their own hands. Jennifer Bradley, who helped form the 50501 Colorado chapter, led the ritual. She started by pouring salt around the Cheesman Pavilion, and wrote the chant that the small crowd followed.

The group circled around a small tapestry on the ground displaying veladoras, flowers, herbs, salts and onions, among other sacraments. The small circle of spiritualists fed each one into a cauldron with a flame inside as Bradley led the chants and told the small audience to think about the child victims of Epstein’s actions. Some people even called on Satan for help, but Bradley said the ritual was just meant to call on “our ancestors” for protection and punishment.

That the sacraments were meant to provide “protection and purification” against evil forces, like Epstein, Bradley explained, adding that she relied on a type of witchcraft called Baneful Magick, which uses spells and hexes, for punishment against people who are heavily implicated in the Epstein files, including Trump. One of the spells involved writing the names of people on oregano leaves and burning them in a cauldron to “burn the tongues of liars.”

“Donald Trump has spoken lies,” the group chanted with Bradley. “Reveal them now before my eyes!”

Epstein’s name has become synonymous with the most immoral corruption imaginable after his final arrest in 2019. Epstein died by suicide in his New York jail cell shortly after, but plenty of people doubt that he actually killed himself or even that he’s really dead.

In fact, one person showed up dressed as Epstein, wearing a gray wig and orange jumpsuit while holding a giant sandwich board that said “Epstein Files,” and claimed that he had “just got in from Tel Aviv,” playing off Internet theories that Epstein is alive and protected in Israel.