Bennito L. Kelty
Audio By Carbonatix
Activism groups nationwide want people across the country to take to the streets in protest of President Donald Trump, billing the No Kings actions today, March 28, as the “largest protest in American history.”
Denver and over seventy other towns across Colorado are expected to host protests, according to organizers.
It’s still too early to tell if these No Kings protests, the third “No Kings” demonstrations since Trump took office again, will have the largest national turnout ever, but the groups holding them have grand expectations. In Denver alone, No Kings organizers expect around 70,000 protesters at the Colorado State Capitol, while a demonstration in Pueblo is expecting another 3,000 people.
This No Kings protest is getting spokespeople on board, including Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro.
“When a mentally ill, mad King George and his abusive parliament threatened the freedoms and spirit of Americans, we didn’t sit on our hands and whine about it,” De Niro said in a video posted by organizers. “It’s 250 years later, and there’s another mentally ill tyrant, a corrupt would-be king, and his gutless Congress who want to fight crazy foreign wars and crush our freedoms here at home.”
The second year of Trump’s new term in office has been marked by the war in Iran, which has pumped up gas prices, and the continued deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), most recently to airports. In January and February, ICE and other federal immigration agents came under fire after violent protests in Minneapolis, which resulted in the deaths of two people and sparked days of protest and strikes in Denver and nationwide. Trump and his administration have also targeted Colorado in statements online, federal funding withdrawals and anti-transgender orders against public schools.
A plethora of No Kings events are planned across the state for riled-up Colorado residents, but the main event will be in Denver. Here’s what you need to know before attending:
Where Is the Denver No Kings Protest?
In Denver, the main No Kings event will take place at the west steps of the Colorado State Capitol and at Lincoln Veterans Memorial Park across the street, at the intersections of Lincoln Street and East Colfax Avenue and Lincoln Street and East 14th Avenue.
When Is the Protest?
The Denver protest will start around 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 28, according to Jennifer Bradley, a spokesperson for the Denver No Kings Coalition, which is organizing the main local event. The official protest is slated to last until 5 p.m., but people have hung around much later, and often continue demonstrating in other parts of downtown.
Will There Be a March?
The Denver No Kings Coalition plans to lead a march from the Capitol at 1 p.m.
The route of the march has not been shared. However, organizers expect to return to the Capitol by 2:30 p.m., so expect to walk a good distance if you participate. Most marches from the Capitol go west, onto Colfax Avenue, or further north, into Lower Downtown by Union Station. Some marches have gone south down Broadway, as well.
Who’s Organizing the Protest?
The Denver No Kings Coalition includes more than three dozen local activist groups and chapters. Groups that organized the largest anti-Trump protests in Denver last year are involved, including 50501 Colorado, the Colorado Education Association and the Party for Socialism and Liberation.
The Colorado Bridge Trolls, known for dressing up and dancing for their protests, plan to attend the Capitol protest from noon to 5 p.m. Members of the similarly colorful Trash Heap Collective are also key organizers for the Capitol protest, so expect the vibe to be animated and a little funky at times.
How to Get There
More than 70,000 people are expected to show up for the Capitol protest, according to local organizers. There are some paid parking lots in the area, including one a few blocks south of the Capitol on Lincoln Street and one on 12th Avenue and Grant Street. However, large crowds like that tend to back up traffic along Colfax Avenue and Lincoln Street, which lead to the Capitol, so those who walk or take alternative transportation will likely save themselves a lot of time.
The 0, 15 and the 83D/L bus lines have stops on East Colfax Avenue, Lincoln Street and Broadway, with each stop just one or two blocks from the Capitol.
Capitol Hill doesn’t have any light rail stations, but RTD stops at 10th Avenue and Osage Street and downtown on 16th Street are about a thirty-minute walk from the Capitol. And you can always scoop an e-bike or scooter along the way.
RTD Disruptions?
RTD lists service alerts online when it expects a disruption to rail and bus routes, but there are currently none related to the upcoming protest. However, there have been disruptions to bus and light rail service during previous protests.
According to RTD, the No Kings protest could impact 23 different bus routes in the downtown area, including the 0, 1, 6, 8, 9, 10, 15, 15L, 16, 19, 20, 28, 32, 38, 43, 44, 48, 52, 83L, 120X, ART, FF and FREE lines. Light rails with possible detours or disruptions include D, E, H, L, and W lines, RTD adds.
“While RTD is focused on being prepared for the demonstrators with a potential to disrupt services, it can be difficult to predict crowd actions in the moment. Agency staff will actively monitor events in real time to support public safety and, to the greatest extent possible, minimize service disruptions,” RTD says.
Other Colorado Protests
The Denver No Kings Coalition is organizing the Capitol protest, but activists across the metro area and the rest of Colorado are planning demonstrations of their own.
The No Kings website has a map with details for protests in cities across Colorado and the rest of the country, including in Arvada, Golden, Commerce City, Aurora, Centennial and Littleton, as well as demonstrations in towns like Aspen, Colorado Springs, Grand Junction, Pueblo, Trinidad and many more communities. Even neighborhoods such as Central Park in north Denver and Copperleaf in east Aurora list smaller, hyper-local protests.
According to the Denver No Kings Coalition, more than 75 protests are planned in Colorado for today. Nationally, there will be more than 3,900, organizers say.
