The “No Kings” rally in Rocky Ford, one of more than 3,100 events nationwide organizers say were planned for Saturday, was a little slow to start, with Marcia Menz standing solo in front of a bank.
But Menz said she felt compelled to hold up a sign reading “Protect the U.S. Constitution,” even if she had to stand alone on a corner of busy U.S. 50.
“I’m just exercising my First Amendment rights,” Menz said, as a few more people joined her at the rally, Rocky Ford’s first. “I feel like our rights are being stripped away from us.”
“Every single day there’s something new. The war he had no business starting. He’s just such a horrible human being,” she said, referring to the war in Iran and President Donald Trump.
The “No Kings” rallies are designed as a catch-all for people to protest a wide range of policies from the Trump administration, from immigration enforcement actions to attacks on free speech and LGBTQ rights.
Across Colorado, thousands of people crowded busy intersections and public parks to make their displeasure known, some carrying signs, others wearing their political feelings on flags draped over their shoulders. Even dogs and kids joined in.
Steve McKee joined the Rocky Ford protest from the bed of his pickup truck. He works on a 1,700-acre ranch “on the prairie” and said he gets his mail in Rocky Ford. Saturday was his first protest.
“The Constitution,” he said when asked what brought him out. “If I don’t stand up for it nobody will.”
More than 200 miles to the north, hundreds of people streamed into Civic Center Park in Fort Collins, lining up at booths to make posters together before making a big loop through Old Town.
In Littleton, a swelling crowd chanted to the beat of a drum: “This is what freedom looks like.”
Maureen Supple was waving an American flag as she stood along Santa Fe Drive in Littleton with hundreds of demonstrators. It was a festive scene, with people complimenting each other’s signs, laughing and passing out water bottles as temperatures began to rise.
“This is my first No Kings,” Supple said. “But the war kind of tipped me over. And I have a friend whose birthday is today and this is what she wanted as a present — to come.”
She called the large turnout “quite amazing.”
U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, who is running for governor, skipped the state Democratic assembly in Pueblo to rally with people in Littleton who were waving signs, ringing bells and cheering as cars and trucks honked in solidarity.
“It’s just an incredible of demonstration of people power out here in Littleton, to see all these people of every age and I think every belief, out here to stand for the American Constitution, stand for the rule of law and stand against the idea that any politician should be a king,” said Bennet, who was wearing two strings of Mardi Gras beads, one red and one blue.
He said he was encouraged by the mood of the protesters. “The mood here today is not a mood of anger, it’s a mood of celebration, of celebration of our democracy. I mean, I think people can see that this is not going to last forever,” Bennet said. “It is always the American people that drag us out of situations like this. That is what people standing on these street corners in Littleton and all across Colorado are doing today.”
Sometimes it’s hard to stand up
But standing up in front of neighbors who may disagree can be uncomfortable, said Marge Morrison, who carried a sign reading “We the People say NO to War” in front of the bank in Rocky Ford. It was her first protest.
“What have I had to protest before?” she said. “I was too young for Vietnam protests. The bombing of innocent people made it rise to the top for me.”
At La Junta City Park, about 50 people gathered, some in wheelchairs, amid a festive, community feel. Bruce Springsteen’s new protest song, “Streets of Minneapolis,” played on speakers. One sign read: “Trump is a king wanna-be … but a real life felon.” Another read: “Hey Captain Bonespurs. Send Barron.”
In Colorado Springs, Julie and Russ Adams said they were attending their first No Kings rally. Thousands lined the streets downtown, most of them in front of city hall. Some people wore inflatable costumes, including an American eagle and a frog. Others were in wheelchairs, and some people walked to the rally using canes and oxygen tanks.
“Enough is enough,” Russ said.
“It’s just too much going on,” Julie added. “I feel like everyone has to get out and show their support so more people know what’s going on. I have people at work that have no idea what’s going on. I said something about getting gas and they said, ‘Yeah I wonder what’s up with the gas prices.’ They don’t know why. We need to educate people.”
In Lafayette, demonstrators posted a large sign that read “Protest is patriotic” on a bridge over U.S. 287. Several hundred people joined in a rally that was significantly bigger than a similar event in October.
The White House dismissed the national rallies. Spokesperson Abigail Jackson described the protests as the product of “leftist funding networks” with little real public support.
The National Republican Congressional Committee was also sharply critical.
“These Hate America Rallies are where the far-left’s most violent, deranged fantasies get a microphone,” said Maureen O’Toole, spokesperson for the NRCC.
Saturday was the third time in less than a year protests were organized nationwide. And there were more organized events in Colorado than the first two days last year.
The first protest against the administration was five months into President Trump’s second term when roughly a dozen protests were organized in June in Colorado.
In October, tens of thousands of protesters fanned out across Colorado to push back against the Trump administration’s policies in about 50 locations.
Rina and Todd Tilzer of Superior have been out for all the protests in the past year and stayed local this time. In June they were in Boulder, and Denver in October.
They’re concerned about the “degradation of the democracy institutions,” Todd said. Rina’s hot button issues are health care, vaccines and poor information. They are concerned people might be getting numb to the protest, but feel like standing on a corner means something in a bigger picture.
“I think there is a feeling of, ‘what does it do just showing up and standing on a street corner holding a sign?’” Rina said. “But I do think there is a lot of power in numbers, and I think it shows if we grow in numbers with each of these protests as we move, I think it shows a moment that is growing and growing stronger.
“That’s why I think it’s important to still show up. I don’t think just standing here is changing anyone’s mind, but I think it’s showing a broader picture of our country as a whole and where people stand.”
The couple said on the drive to Saturday’s protest they were talking about fatigue setting in.
“It will be interesting to see what the numbers from the big cities, like Denver,” Todd said. “But it feels like people are slightly less engaged than they were, but we’ll see.”
Aubrey Freestone Garcia, 45, and Manny Garcia, 50, were out for the second time, this Saturday in Superior standing in front of a Tesla dealership, which has been the site of weekly protests since Elon Musk started DOGE at the beginning of Trump’s second administration.
Aubrey is an art teacher, and the Broomfield couple hoisted canvases that proclaimed “Make Art Not War” and “Art Evolves Humanity.” The couple said the negativity since Trump announced he would run for president a decade ago and attacks on marginalized communities need to change.
“The last 10 years, ever since Trump ran for office, everything has turned so negative and so overwhelmingly stressful on a daily basis,” Manny said. “We need more and more people to come out, because if we don’t, if we don’t express and use our First Amendment rights how soon is it going to be before those are taken away?”
They feel like movement to protest and have a voice will continue to grow as more people are affected by the administration’s policies and decisions. They said family members across the country and local friends were going out Saturday.
“The more the darkness pushes forward, the more the people feel empowered to fight. I do think it’s rising,” said Aubrey, who was wearing rainbow sunglasses and earrings to support the LGBTQ community. “I think there is a rising happening of people coming forward because people are being impacted. Family members, they’re starting to see ‘oh, it’s not just this population, it’s also people in my family or people I know, my neighbors are being directly affected, deported, marginalized.’ And then the financial situation is a burden on people right now. So I think more and more people will start coming out.”
David Krause, Sue McMillin, Alyssa Pinkerton, Stephanie Rivera, Larry Ryckman and The Associated Press contributed to this story.