Colorado Veterans Protest Against Trump, VA Firings

A crowd of veterans rallied at the Colorado State Capitol on Friday, March 14, to protest President Donald Trump's policy choices, share their fears of losing benefits and declare their outrage over the large-scale firing of Veterans Affairs employees.

"This administration, what they're doing right now is abhorrent," said Chaz Tedesco, a former Adams County commissioner and Navy veteran. "They cannot do this to us. We went into the service, we signed our names to defend against enemies, foreign and domestic. This is absolutely a domestic attack. We are going to be here and we are going to fight."

The protest was organized in solidarity with veterans' protests around the country. Veterans groups nationwide had been calling for a rally on March 14, though no single group had taken the lead. The permit holder for the veterans protest at the Colorado Capitol was a local resident.

The protest came a day before a protest planned by the 50501 Movement for Saturday, March 15, at the Colorado Capitol at noon.

The Colorado State Patrol estimates that about 100 people showed up at the Capitol on Friday to support veterans, many of them veterans themselves. The crowd included veterans in combat and dress uniforms or in caps showing their miliary branch. Along with veterans, state representatives Sheila Lieder and Tammy Story gave speeches to the crowd.

"We will stick together to fight for what is right for you," Lieder, a Democrat, told the veterans. "Let me know what I can do for you at the state level, and I'll do it."

The protesters had no qualms regarding swearing. The crowd chanted "Fuck Donald Trump," and the veterans' speeches on the Capitol steps included lines like "I'm fucking pissed," "this is our fucking health care" and "it's fucked." One veteran decried "all this bullshit coming down."

A person in the crowd yelled, "We fought in hell. Now we fight like hell." Another veteran spoke topless, with a breast exposed to the crowd.
Some veterans said they feared losing benefits or were upset that VA employees have lost their jobs as a result of Trump's downsizing of the federal workforce.

The VA is the federal agency that handles veterans' benefits, including their health care at VA hospitals around the country. The Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center in Aurora was built to serve the estimated 400,000 veterans in Colorado. The VA could cut upwards of 80,000 jobs, the Associated Press reported on March 5, and the Aurora VA reported eliminating "a small number" of probationary employees in February.

While serving in Afghanistan, Navy veteran Jeff Williams developed lymphoma from exposure to toxic smoke at burn pits, or areas where the military would burn waste; he says that he relies heavily on the VA hospital staff. During his speech at the protest, he said that "the VA has been there for us when we need them. Now we have to send a message to them that 'We'll be there for you when you need us.'" 

"VA health care is essential. It's life-saving for so many veterans," Williams told Westword. "There are so many stories of veterans who were exposed to things that civilians don't normally get exposed to." 
Williams worries that Trump may try to undo the 2022 PACT Act, which expanded benefits for veterans who were exposed to burn pits and other toxic waste, including the chemical used by the U.S. in Vietnam known as Agent Orange. Congressional Democrats have accused Trump of trying to limit PACT Act benefits with his VA firings.

Other protesters were family members of veterans who were worried for their loved ones. Protester Jan Guyer is the mother of a U.S. Marine who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan and suffered a traumatic brain injury while riding in a Humvee that struck an improvised explosive device.

"My son's fear is his benefits are going to be cut," Guyer explained. "Without his disability payment, he can't make it for him and his daughter. That's what they're afraid of. They went to war, they came back and they were promised to be supported for their life. They were promised to be taken care of. My son's afraid."

Some veterans weren't worried for themselves, but wanted to show solidarity with everyone who feels they're under attack by the Trump administration. Navy veteran April Sutton, who came to the protest in her service uniform, said she attended because "a lot of my friends are transgender, LGBT," and fear losing their rights.

"I'm here to stand for my friends," she said. "We gave an oath to support the constitution, and I think what's going on right now is completely against that."