Demonstrators gathered on the Capitol's west lawn at 2 p.m., spilling out onto a blocked-off part of Lincoln Street. The protest went on until the evening hours, with three people arrested, two for graffiti and one for graffiti and inciting a riot, according to the Denver Police Department.
On Lincoln, protesters organized indigenous-style dances and sage burnings to show pride in their Mexican and Native American heritages, which was a dominant theme in the protest. Members of the Denver branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), the political group that organized the February 8 protest, delivered speeches, some warning that ICE would "tear apart thousands of Colorado families" and "ICE needs to get out of our neighborhood."
Dozens of Mexican flags waived overhead, along with signs in English and Spanish decrying ICE and billionaires, including Elon Musk, the Tesla and X CEO who is part of Trump's inner circle. Some signs even read "Deport Elon."
Other messages included "billionaires are the real enemy — not immigrants" and "ICE fuera," meaning "out with ICE" in Spanish. Hand-written signs read "ICE on ICE" and "Colorado stands with immigrants," as well as "I speak for those who don't have a voice" and "no one is illegal."
Protesters on Saturday showed their pride in their Mexican heritage, with many waiving the country's flag and wearing garbs with Aztec symbols.
Bennito L. Kelty
Protesters marched to Speer Boulevard before returning to the Capitol via Fourteenth Avenue, marking a short march before the large gathering continued to chant from Lincoln Street and the State Capitol's west lawn.
The protest followed an all-day gathering on Wednesday, February 5, that saw about 5,000 people amass at the State Capitol and march briefly up and down West Colfax Avenue for the Fifty State Protests. Similarly, Mexican pride became one of the strongest messages of the gathering even though it was originally meant to oppose Project 2025, a conservative policy plan written by the Heritage Foundation that includes securing the border and mass deportations.
Saturday's protest also came on the heels of a series of raids at Denver and Aurora apartment complexes on Wednesday, February 5, that saw more than 100 agents from ICE, the Drug Enforcement Administration and other federal agencies making arrests.
The Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN) reported that some apartment doors were "blasted open with flash-bang grenades," while other groups condemned the raids, including the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition and Colorado People's Alliance.
Protesters marched down West Colfax Avenue with chants of "we want ICE off our streets!"
Bennito L. Kelty
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston accepted an invitation from congressional Republicans to testify before the House Oversight Committee on March 5 and defend comments he made in November that he would stand off with ICE agents if they try to deport immigrants in his city.
The Denver PSL has plans for another protest on Saturday, February 15, at the Aurora ICE facility, 3130 Oakland Street. At Saturday's protest, PSL members invited people to their organizing meetings every Monday at 6:30 p.m. at the Shorter Community AME Church, 3100 Richard Allen Court.
Protesters marched to Speer Boulevard and then east on Fourteenth Avenue to head back to the Capitol.
Bennito L. Kelty
A flyer for the protest calls the Aurora ICE facility a "genocide detention center." The GEO Group, the international private prison company that runs the Aurora ICE facility, says it will invest $70 million to "meet the anticipated requirements" at the facility under the Trump administration.
The PSL has seen large turnouts at other events it organized since President Trump took office three weeks ago. Protesters filled Fletcher Plaza in Aurora on January 25 to show their opposition to Trump's second term. Just over a week later, upwards of 1,800 people filled the Shorter Community AME Church for a Know Your Rights training by the PSL on February 3.
The Fifty State Protest on February 5 was organized by social media users. Social media users are planning a similar "National Day of Protest" on President's Day, according to Reddit posts.
