Ready, Set, Action: Education and Advocacy Events in Denver, February 13-19

There are plenty of opportunities to get involved in politics this week, ranging from educational programming to more protests. Here are five ways to take action:

Friday, February 17, 2 p.m.
Pull Out Method: Divest From Banks Funding DAPL
State Capitol
In a reprise of the February 10 action, activists in solidarity with Standing Rock and DefundDAP will meet at the State Capitol, then walk downtown to Wells Fargo, Chase and US Bank offices, where individuals will be closing their accounts to divest from oil pipelines. Find out more about the Pull Out Method actions here.

Saturday, February 18, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Gay-Straight Alliance Leadership Summit
University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, University Center, 1420 Austin Bluffs Parkway
One Colorado's safe-schools program works with school districts across the county to make sure "every lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer student feels safe, welcome and empowered," according to the group. One Colorado is hosting three Gay-Straight Alliance leadership summits across the state this spring: The first is in Colorado Springs on February 18, the second at Colorado State University on March 11, and the third at Colorado Mesa University on March 25. Registration is free; find out more here.

Saturday, February 18, 11 a.m.
One Billion Rising
Civic Center Park
Denver's chapter of One Billion Rising – a global movement to end violence against women – will host a rally to support “our indigenous sisters, especially our sister Red Fawn Fallis, who is currently a political prisoner in North Dakota,” according to the organizers. The date for this event was moved from February 14 because that has long been a day to “raise awareness for missing and murdered indigenous women,” they note (see Sing Our Rivers Red March, above). Find out more here.

Saturday, February 18, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Defend Our Constitution March
Civic Center Park
“Since November, Denver has been a platform for peaceful protesting that has gained notoriety across the globe,” says the Facebook page for the Defend Our Constitution March, another event organized by Queen Phoenix. “Let's continue to unite in solidarity, forming a force too big to ignore. These policies are affecting our reputation as an entire country. These policies are affecting people worldwide and creating new dangers. Let’s defend our Constitution. Let’s defend our rights. Let’s march. Let’s make bold signs. Let’s make noise. Let’s create change.” Find more information here.

Sunday, February 19, 1 to 3 p.m.
Day of Remembrance
History Colorado Center, 1200 Broadway
This event commemorates the 75th anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066, which led to the wartime incarceration of 120,000 people of Japanese descent in the U.S., including 9,000 in Colorado. Lane Ryo Hirabayashi, a professor in the Department of Asian American Studies at UCLA who's studied the post-war resettlement of Japanese Americans, will offer the keynote; Adele Arakawa is the emcee. Admission is free (and includes entrance into History Colorado's exhibits), and Japanese food and tea will be served. Find out more here.

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