The demonstration is organized by groups that have formed since the success of the Fifty State Protests on February 5. The permit for the event plans for a gathering of up to 4,000 people from noon to 4 p.m. at the Capitol's west steps, but online flyers for the event don't include a stop time. (The Fifty State Protest lasted well past its planned 8 p.m. stop time.)
Denver has seen thousands of protesters crowd its downtown streets and gather at the Capitol to show their opposition to Trump and his administration, including plans for mass deportation, often called Operation Aurora, as well as actions targeting transgender people and certain federal employees.
If you plan to join the large gathering expected for Presidents' Day, here's what you need to know:
Who's Organizing the Denver Presidents' Day Protest?
The details about Colorado's Presidents' Day protest are being shared by users of Threads, TikTok, Bluesky and Reddit, but two new local activist groups, the Common Ground People's Collective and the People's March, have taken a central role in putting it together. They're also billing it as "a 50501 event," referring to the Fifty State Protests that took place in fifty capitals in all fifty states on one day.The Fifty State Protest was organized by social media users instead of a single group, but a national organization calling itself the 50501 movement has since formed and launched a website. Like the Fifty State Protest, the Presidents' Day protests are expected to take place across the country.
The Common Ground People's Collective was formed as a Denver-based organization after the success of Colorado's Fifty State Protest. According to its Bluesky profile, the collective's mission is "facilitating the #50501movement protests in Denver, #Colorado. We believe in the power of nonviolent protest to protect #Democracy and #ResistFascism."
The Common Ground People's Collective is one of three names listed on the permit for the Presidents' Day protest in Colorado, alongside the Political Revolution and the 50501 movement, according to the Colorado Division of Capitol Assets. The Political Revolution is a national political action committee started by former supporters of the Bernie Sanders presidential campaigns in 2016 and 2020, according to the group's website.
The People's March is a national group that formed last year to replace the Women's March that took place in 2017 and brought out millions nationwide to oppose Trump's first inauguration. The Denver-based chapter cropped up shortly after Trump's election win in November.
Join #50501movement at the #PresidentsDay Protest on 2/17 to defend democracy and reject fascism!
— CO Common Ground (@cocommonground.bsky.social) February 10, 2025 at 8:46 PM
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What's the Mission of the Protest?
Social media posts and online flyers for the Presidents' Day protest warn about Trump taking too much power and urge people to defend democracy. Posts for events in other states are calling February 17 "Not My President's Day."A YouTube video by the 50501 movement displays the message: "Dictator. Oligarch. Tech Bro. No President Above the Law. Take Back Presidents' Day. Unite to stop the abuse of power."
Local flyers from the Common Ground People's Front and the People's March urge people to "defend democracy and human rights" and "reject fascist policies and executive overreach."
Trump is threatening "millions of lives," including "trans people, queer people, women, Black and brown people, immigrants, poor people and anyone who's not considered important to him," according to a post on the Political Revolution's national website.
"This upcoming Presidents' Day, it's important to show the U.S., the government, the world, that this is NOT the people's president," reads the Political Revolution's post. "Donald Trump is a threat not only to the U.S. but to democracy, peace and lives."
How Big Will the Presidents' Day Protest Be?
According to the event's permit, up to 4,000 people are expected to gather at the Colorado State Capitol on Monday. The Fifty State Protest on February 5 saw more than 5,000 people show up at the Capitol through the day, according to the Colorado State Patrol, even though the permit for the protest, taken out by a lone Coloradan, only anticipated 1,000 people at the west steps.An anti-ICE protest on Saturday, February 8, organized by the Denver branch of the People for Socialism and Liberation, saw more than 2,500 gather at the Capitol's west lawn, though that number increased to 3,000 people for the march down West Colfax Avenue, according to the CSP. The permit for that event estimated that 5,000 people would show up.
After Trump's inauguration on January 20, the PSL organized large gatherings in Aurora and Denver to support undocumented immigrants and decry Trump and ICE, The group planned a protest at the Aurora ICE detention center on February 15 as well.
The PSL and the Fifty State protests have largely been nonviolent, but several incidents have occurred. Three protesters were verbally attacked and had glass bottles thrown at them on their way to the February 8 protest; the Denver Police Department has arrested a total of six people in connection with the Fifty State Protest and PSL protests.
