Across the country, activists are also planning rallies on May 1 to mark International Workers Day or May Day, which is observed in countries around the world.
Denver's "A Day Without Immigrants" will rally for workers' rights and also support immigrants, and there are a handful of similar protests taking place around Colorado. Here's what to know if you plan to join:
When Is the Denver Protest on May 1?
Denver's "A Day Without Immigrants" will be on Thursday, May 1, from 5 to 8 p.m.. That's later than other large protests in recent months, which have been on weekends. Major demonstrations in Denver have often lasted longer than planned, and sometimes turn into marches around downtown.Where Is the Protest?
Protesters are planning to gather at the west steps of the Colorado State Capitol Building at 200 East Colfax Avenue.Who's Organizing the May 1 Protest?
The lead organizer for the main May 1 protest in Denver is the Aurora Unidos Community Service Organization, which holds a permit for a 3 p.m. gathering, too. That's for the more traditional May Day protet.Aurora Unidos CSO is a grassroots group focusing on legalization, that promises to "fight for the legalization of all people, an end to the racist border walls and militarization, and the protection of families," according to its website.
Unlike other groups that have organized recent anti-Trump protests in Denver, Aurora Unidos CSO has been around for a few years. Previous actions — including the April 19 protest and the February 5 Fifty State Protest — were organized by groups founded after Trump's inauguration in January, like the Common Ground People's Collective and 50501 Colorado, a local chapter of a national organization.
A handful of groups are supporting the May 1 protest and sharing flyers for the protest on social media. Along with Aurora CSO, other organizations with their logos on the flyers include Casa De Paz, the Chicano Liberation Committee, the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, the local chapters of the Students for a Democratic Society and 50501.
Other protests happening around Colorado have different organizers, including local branches of Indivisible, a progressive activist group.
How to Get Involved
Anyone interested in volunteering for the May 1 protest can reach out to Aurora CSO online. Protest organizers often rely on volunteers to serve as safety marshals, to set up sound systems and bring water, and to act as legal observers to document interactions with law enforcement.What to Know Before You Go
Other large protests in Denver often include marches. In the past, marches have gone down West Colfax Avenue or along Speer Boulevard 15th Street. Protesters with accessibility issues — including disabled veterans — stayed near the Capitol during those marches.The permit for the May 1 protest says it expects 5,000 people to rally at the Capitol between 3 and 8 p.m. The April 19 protest attracted 3,000 people, and 8,000 people showed up on April 5, according to estimates by the Colorado State Patrol.
Rarely have the protests been violent. Two men harassed and threw a bottle at women walking to a rally in February, which led to arrests. The Denver Police Department has arrested a few people at previous protests for vandalism, inciting a riot and obstruction of traffic, among other charges.
How to Get There
Large protests at the Capitol can shut down Lincoln Street from East Colfax Avenue to East 14th Avenue. When protesters marched at previous events, the DPD helped them shut down blocks on West Colfax Avenue, Speer Boulevard and other streets near the Capitol.
Protesters planning on driving should consider parking a few blocks away and walking to the Capitol. With a lot of protesters coming by car, traffic gets snarled on thoroughfares like Colfax Avenue, Broadway and Lincoln Street.
The RTD 0, 15 and 16 bus lines have stops on East Colfax Avenue and Broadway as well as East 13th Avenue and Lincoln Street. The RTD light rail doesn't have any stops immediately nearby, but downtown stops are less than a half-hour walk from the Capitol. The light rail stop on 10th Avenue and Osage Street in La Alma is about a half-hour walk, too.
You can find your closest lines and stops on the RTD online system map.
Protesters planning on driving should consider parking a few blocks away and walking to the Capitol. With a lot of protesters coming by car, traffic gets snarled on thoroughfares like Colfax Avenue, Broadway and Lincoln Street.
The RTD 0, 15 and 16 bus lines have stops on East Colfax Avenue and Broadway as well as East 13th Avenue and Lincoln Street. The RTD light rail doesn't have any stops immediately nearby, but downtown stops are less than a half-hour walk from the Capitol. The light rail stop on 10th Avenue and Osage Street in La Alma is about a half-hour walk, too.
You can find your closest lines and stops on the RTD online system map.
Other Protests Happening in Colorado on May 1
A separate Denver protest at the Capitol will start at 3 p.m.; it is organized by the union members of SEIU Local 105, which represents 8,000 Colorado workers and public officials at hospitals and airports, including janitors and security officers. The protest will feature speakers, including elected officials, and a rally by the union's members.
Although the 3 p.m. SEIU protest is taking place in solidarity with May Day events nationwide, the event is separate from the protest organized as part of "A Day Without Immigrants." Still, the organizers of both protests are calling on support for immigrant and labor rights.
More information on the SEIU protest can be found on the group's Facebook page.
After the SEIU protest, a new group called Block by Block is planning to start a demonstration at 4:30 p.m. during which protesters will stand at every intersection on Broadway, from Colfax Avenue to Wildcat Preserve Parkway in Highlands Ranch. Each protester will hold up a sign supporting immigrant or labor rights. If the demonstration works, protesters would be lined up at 108 intersections along Broadway for fifteen miles. (Block by Block is asking that participants RSVP via its online signup sheet; according to the group, it wants at least 432 people for the action and so far more than 100 signed up.)
May 1 protests will also take place in Boulder, Durango and Fort Collins. You can find the protest closest to you with the help of a live, uncredited online spreadsheet.
The earliest May 1 protest in Colorado will start at 11 a.m. in Boulder at the entrance to labs of the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which are considered targets of federal downsizing by Trump. Although the 3 p.m. SEIU protest is taking place in solidarity with May Day events nationwide, the event is separate from the protest organized as part of "A Day Without Immigrants." Still, the organizers of both protests are calling on support for immigrant and labor rights.
More information on the SEIU protest can be found on the group's Facebook page.
After the SEIU protest, a new group called Block by Block is planning to start a demonstration at 4:30 p.m. during which protesters will stand at every intersection on Broadway, from Colfax Avenue to Wildcat Preserve Parkway in Highlands Ranch. Each protester will hold up a sign supporting immigrant or labor rights. If the demonstration works, protesters would be lined up at 108 intersections along Broadway for fifteen miles. (Block by Block is asking that participants RSVP via its online signup sheet; according to the group, it wants at least 432 people for the action and so far more than 100 signed up.)
May 1 protests will also take place in Boulder, Durango and Fort Collins. You can find the protest closest to you with the help of a live, uncredited online spreadsheet.
Protests start at noon in Trinidad, Genesee, Gunnison, Pagosa Springs, Durango and Hot Sulphur Springs, and at 2 p.m. in Lyons and Saguache. The town of Bayfield will start at 3 p.m.
At 4 p.m. protests are expected to start in Fort Collins, Greeley, Canon City and Glenwood Springs. Then, thirty minutes later, in Arvada, Lakewood, Frisco and Westminster.
Golden, Grand Junction, Cortez and Pueblo protests plan to start at 5 p.m. The latest protests will begin at 5:30 p.m. in Colorado Springs and Steamboat Springs.
Some protests will start in the center of town or by a courthouse, as in Durango and Steamboat Springs. Check the online spreadsheet for info on where and when to gather.
