"This event is calling the Denver community to action against organizations and elected officials supporting — or neglecting to oppose — the executive overreach of the Trump administration and violation of our constitutional rights," according to 50501 Colorado, a local chapter of the national protest group. "This rally is occurring simultaneously with a national mass mobilization event protesting against the Trump Administration's attack against the people of the United States."
According to 50501 Colorado, as many as 8,000 protesters are expected to Rage Against the Regime on Saturday. The permit to gather at the Capitol lists the expected turnout as 20,000 people.
A similar day of national protest on July 17, Good Trouble Lives On, saw a turnout of about 2,000 people in Denver, about one-fifth of what organizers were expecting. It marked a decline in turnout since the No Kings protest on June 14, which saw 5,000 people participate in an energetic demonstration.
Organizers still expect a large turnout on Saturday, however. Here's what to know if you want to attend or have plans in the area.
Where is the Rage Against the Regime Protest in Denver?
In Denver, protesters for the Rage Against the Regime protest will meet at the State Capitol Building's west steps.When is the Rage Against the Regime Protest?
According to 50501 Colorado, the protest on Saturday, August 2, will start at noon and wrap up at 2 p.m.The permit to gather at the Capitol reserves the space until as late as 6 p.m. Previous protests have carried on longer than their expected end time, with protesters often choosing to continue marching.
Will There Be a March?
Yes, organizers for Rage Against the Regime have planned a march at 12:45 p.m. No route has been shared yet, but the march is expected to wrap up at 1:30 p.m., according to a schedule by 50501 Colorado.Previous marches have gone miles up and down major streets like Broadway, East Colfax Avenue and Speer Boulevard before returning to the State Capitol. Some have gone towards Interstate 25 with the intention of shutting down the highway, which has resulted in confrontations with law enforcement.
How To Get There
Parking often becomes difficult around the State Capitol when protests see large turnouts, especially on Lincoln Street and Colfax Avenue. Parking or getting dropped off a few blocks from the Capitol is a good idea.RTD has several bus stops that can leave you right in front of the action. Bus lines 0, 15 and 83D/L have stops within a block or two from the Capitol, but as those lines also go up Colfax Avenue and Lincoln Street, they might be delayed as well.
There are no light rail stations in Capitol Hill, but stops at 10th Avenue and Osage Street and downtown on 16th Street are about a thirty-minute walk from the Capitol, and there are plenty of scooter, e-bike and other micromobility options.
Who is Organizing Denver's Rage Against the Regime Protest?
The Rage Against the Regime protest comes from the 50501 movement, a national organization that has held several large demonstrations after the success of the Fifty State Protests in February.According to a press release, 50501 Colorado is organizing the protest in partnership with the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), the Freedom Road Socialist Organization and the Aurora Unidos Community Service Organization. PSL has had a noticeable presence at previous protests as red-shirted volunteers directing marches and starting chants over megaphones.
Other Rage Against the Regime Protests
Various organizations are behind Rage Against the Regime protests in other parts of Colorado, including chapters of Indivisible and the Democratic Socialists of America.Start times, meeting locations and other details can be found via an online spreadsheet of protests created anonymously and updated frequently.
Some demonstrations are scheduled to start in the morning. Brighton protesters will wave signs from a bridge over Highway 85 as early as 8 a.m. and people in Fort Collins will be waving signs outside of a Lucky's Market at 10 a.m. Other protests, including in Pueblo and Colorado Springs, are scheduled to start between 11 a.m. and noon.
